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To: Ruffian who wrote (23391)	2/24/1999 9:51:00 PM
From: marginmike	Respond to of 152472

Up to 5,000 people a day are expected to switch mobile phone networks as companies slash charges and give away handsets in a ferocious new price war. From 8am on Monday, the 2.9 million users will for the first time be able to switch to a new network and take their number with them. Companies and authorities expect thousands of people to flock to phone shops as the six network operators scramble to hang on to their customers and snare those now using their competitors. "This will remove the last major obstacle to freedom of choice," said Au Man-ho, senior assistant director of the Office of the Telecommunications Authority. "We would expect the price to fall to a level which represents good value for money to consumers, and operators will not necessarily compete on the basis of price alone." He expected customers would be offered more innovative and better- quality services. The authority and phone companies have agreed on a daily limit of 5,000 transfers so the central database can keep up. But several operators have started "pre-registering" users who want to switch and demand is expected to be far greater. Craig Ehrlich, managing director of Sunday, said the company's first television advertisement urging people to switch had generated 700 phone calls. He expected that Sunday alone would have 5,000 people ready to switch on the day the new system came into effect. Several phone companies are offering cash, cheap rates and free handsets to encourage people to switch. Hong Kong, where 42 per cent of residents own a mobile phone, is one of the first places to offer mobile users this service. It was introduced in Britain on January 1 and Singapore has been running a similar scheme - in which calls are sent via a user's old network after they have transferred - for several years. Fung shui expert Kong Tin-yat said many people would want to keep phone numbers they considered lucky, especially those including three or eight, which meant life and money. "In reality, the numbers have no relation to a person's luck, but people may feel better keeping the number if they feel it has been lucky for them," he said. Mr Au said people submitting an application form with the operator they wanted to join should be transferred within two days. But if more than 5,000 people a day signed up to be transferred, it could take longer. He said a survey in 1997 indicated that one-third of mobile phone users would want to use the new service in the first year it was available. This translated to about 2,500 each day. (Copyright 1999) _____via IntellX_____ Publication Date: February 24, 1999 Powered by NewsReal's IndustryWatch