Mobile Number Portability Map

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is a regulatory framework that lets subscribers keep their phone number when switching from one mobile carrier to another. Introduced to promote competition, it removes the biggest friction point in changing providers — the loss of a familiar number. The UK pioneered MNP in 1999; today it is active in 123 countries worldwide.

When a subscriber ports their number, the original carrier releases it and a central number portability database (or inter-carrier routing table) records the new carrier assignment. Incoming calls and messages are then routed via this database. Carriers that skip a real-time lookup and still route to the original network will experience delivery failures for ported numbers.

An MNP lookup (also called a real-time number portability query) checks a central database to find which carrier currently owns a given mobile number. SMS gateways perform this lookup before routing a message so it reaches the subscriber's actual network — not the original carrier the number was issued to. Without it, messages to ported numbers are frequently delayed or silently dropped.

In markets with mature MNP — Western Europe, North America, Australia — a significant share of active numbers have been ported at least once. If your SMS gateway routes without doing an MNP lookup, those messages go to the wrong network. The result is delayed delivery, failed delivery, or silent drops that never appear as errors. The older MNP is in a country, the higher the proportion of ported numbers in circulation.

TelQ test numbers are placed on specific networks and report the actual SMSC (Short Message Service Centre) that delivered each test message. If the reported SMSC belongs to the original carrier instead of the current one, your gateway is routing without an MNP lookup. This mismatch is a direct indicator that ported-number delivery will fail in production.

As of 2026, 123 countries have active Mobile Number Portability. The UK was first (1999), followed by the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Australia. Most of Western Europe and North America implemented MNP between 2000 and 2010. Use the interactive map above to see each country's status and the year MNP was introduced.

In most countries, MNP covers both prepaid and postpaid mobile numbers. Some early implementations were postpaid-only, but regulations have since been extended to include prepaid in the majority of MNP markets. For SMS senders, the distinction is irrelevant — both types can be ported and both require a real-time lookup for correct routing.

The longer MNP has been available, the more ported numbers are in circulation. A country that introduced MNP in 1999 has had 25+ years of subscribers switching carriers — the accumulated porting volume is substantial. This is why the map uses color intensity to show MNP age: darker means more ported numbers in that market, and therefore a higher risk of delivery failures without proper MNP lookup.

Notable markets without MNP include several countries in Africa and parts of Southeast Asia. However, the majority of commercially significant mobile markets — where international SMS traffic is highest — have already implemented MNP.

We review and update the MNP map data regularly as new countries launch MNP or existing implementations change. The last update was May 2026, covering 123 countries.