Over 2.3 million phone numbers have been transferred to another mobile network in Romania in the last seven years. More than three quarters were mobile phone numbers, according to Romania’s Communication Authority ANCOM.

Starting 2008, clients can change the mobile phone operator in Romania, but keep their phone numbers, by transferring them to the new networks.

Vodafone ranks first for the number of customers received through transfer (over 509,000) during this period, followed by Orange (over 452,500), and RCS & RDS (almost 450,000).

This year, however, RCS & RDS ranks first, with over 233,500 new numbers received through transfer. Vodafone got about 111,000 new customers through transfer between January and October this year, whereas Orange received some 83, 500 new users. Some 555,000 people have moved their phone numbers to new networks this year (by October 16), almost as many as in the whole last year.

The number of monthly transfers increased from about 23,000 in 2013 to 47,000 in 2014 and over 58,000 in the first nine months of this year.

editor@romania-insider.com