(20 February 2026 | Source: Open Legal Acts portal)
Kazakhstan has put forward for public discussion a draft of changes to the rules for transferring subscriber numbers between mobile operators. The document has been published on the Open Legal Acts portal, and the discussion will last until 6 March 2026.
The changes concern amendments to order No. 1105 of the acting Minister of Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 26 November 2015, which regulates the procedure for the MNP service — number portability when changing operator.
WHAT EXACTLY IS BEING PROPOSED TO CHANGE
The draft has been developed by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan 'On Communications'.
The document provides for two key amendments:
- the donor operator will have the right to refuse number portability if less than 60 calendar days have passed since its first activation;
- a fixed maximum response time for the donor operator to a portability request is established — no more than 10 minutes from the moment the request is received in the Central Database of Subscriber Numbers (CDBSN).
The draft materials clarify that the changes are aimed at improving the number portability procedure and enhancing the customer experience.
WHY THE NEW RESTRICTIONS ARE BEING INTRODUCED
According to the explanatory section, the main goal of the amendments is to minimise the period of possible loss of communication service for the subscriber during number portability. It is expected that this will increase user satisfaction with the quality of the service.
At the same time, the draft materials do not specify the reasons for introducing the 60-day restriction after the first activation of the number.
WHAT CONSEQUENCES ARE EXPECTED
The draft notes that the adoption of the document will not entail negative socio-economic or legal consequences, nor will it affect national security.
COMMENTS FROM DISCUSSION PARTICIPANTS
Users of the Open Legal Acts portal point out that the published materials lack the text of the draft legal act, the explanatory note, and the comparative table, which usually accompany such documents.
Discussion participants also express doubts that the proposed changes will lead to an improvement in the customer experience. In their opinion, the restriction on number portability may benefit mobile operators.