The government Thursday unveiled a plan to encourage users to switch mobile carriers more easily without changing their current numbers, proposing that operators charge no fees if applications are made online.
The plan is also designed to fuel competition among mobile operators in a market where the dominance of only a few major players has made it difficult for newcomers offering lower fees to penetrate.
The proposed scheme will reduce fees when people seek to change mobile carriers while keeping their current phone numbers at shops or by phone to ¥1,000 from the current ¥3,000, according to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry.