After years of struggle, argument, patient mediation and occasional threats of legal action, local telephone companies at last launched the long-awaited — and first in the English-speaking Caribbean — number portability on Monday.

Heralded by a release from the regulator Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA), the service means any telephone customer in the Cayman islands can switch their service provider, yet retain their customary contact number.

“From today,” according to a Monday ICTA statement, “customers of Digicel, LIME, Logic and TeleCayman will be able to keep their existing telephone numbers (fixed or mobile) if they decide to change their telephone provider.”

Signed by ICTA managing Director Dave Archbold, the release welcomes “the introduction of [number portability],” reviewing what it means.

“It was mandated by the authority in December 2008 and over the subsequent three-and-a-bit years the service providers have been selecting and implementing the systems necessary to make it a reality. By removing most of the inconvenience and reducing the costs associated with changing service providers, local number portability gives consumers greater choice and increases competition.”

Yesterday, Mr Archbold told iNews Cayman that  “any new system will have some glitches, some delays, but it is working well enough right now” as software and system testing proceeds.

“All the companies are very aware, but don’t want any customers to be disappointed, so they are going quietly and carefully. But it’s upward and onward from now,” he said.

LIME Country Manager Tony Ritch said Monday’s launch was an exciting development, but acknowledged it was slow to begin.

“We have started accepting customers,” he said, “and LIME has seem a few coming in to start ‘porting’. We are still in the process of fine-tuning and testing, so it’s not complete yet.”

Still, at the moment, he said, “it takes three days to port a mobile telephone and 10 days for a fixed line”, a rate scheduled to improve.

“There are still a final couple of days for testing and we hope to have it fully up and running by next week. It’s just running a little slowly because everyone is a little cautious, but we are looking forward to some exciting campaigns in the next few weeks,” Mr Ritch told iNews Cayman.

The service, available in dozens of jurisdictions, is credited with improving customer service, reducing costs, and sparking technological innovation as companies compete for market share.

Regulators have frequently had to overcome complaints and commercial resistance from “incumbent” operators, used to government protection through licencing and a series of costly requirements rivals must meet to gain entry to established markets.

Businesses, however, often drive the plan, gaining service improvements without costly changes to cards, letterhead, directory listings, advertising or customer notifications.

Digicel CEO Victor Corcoran said the scheme was not complete because “the operators were still doing beta testing”, meaning the service ”was still not fully operational, although we welcome the opportunities” it will mean.

“It’s too early, really, to say because there are ongoing testing issues being worked out, but we’re very excited. Digicel is looking forward to the opportunities and will have some exciting offers for consumers.”

An ICTA advisory warned customers about costs, saying charges should be less than $10, accompanied by a maximum charge of 85 cents per line per month.

“The service provider who you are porting your number away from is not permitted to charge a porting fee,” the authority warned on Monday. “However, the service provider to whom you are porting your number may have a one-off charge to port your number (CI$10 or less). You should contact your proposed new service provider to see whether they will charge for this.

“Also, to help cover the cost of the porting service, the service providers may implement a monthly charge to a maximum amount of $0.85 per line to each of its customers whether or not that customer’s number is ported.”