The government intends to ask mobile phone companies to establish a system in which subscribers can retain their cell phone e-mail addresses even if they change contracting firms, it has been learned.
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry plans to urge cell phone companies to comply with this policy as part of efforts to increase competition among the firms, according to sources.
Should the hurdles of changing a contracting carrier be lessened, competition among mobile phone firms is expected to increase, leading them to lower their service fees, they said.
The ministry plans to include the proposal in a policy for reforming mobile phone rates, which is expected to be finalized by the end of this month.
With the introduction of the mobile number portability (MNP) system in 2006, mobile phone users have been able to retain the same phone number even if they switch providers. However, users are not allowed to retain their e-mail address if they switch phone carriers, as e-mail addresses with such domains as @docomo.ne.jp. are tied to the particular contracting mobile phone firm.
The ministry believes that if mobile phone users are given the option of retaining their e-mail addresses, then new demand for switching mobile phone carriers will be created. Thus, the government plans to ask mobile phone companies to design specific plans to accommodate this change, the sources said.
The ministry also intends to request that the firms allow customers to keep their subscriber identity module (SIM) card even if they change companies, they said. A SIM card, inserted into mobile phones, stores a user's subscription information.
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