Change your network but keep your existing number: Mobile number portability in India
by Sadik on 05/02/10 at 5:56 am
UPDATE 2: As expected, MNP has been delayed again. Trai chairman J.S. Sarma said on June 8, 2010, “MNP should not go beyond September”. It seems now we are looking at a date of 30th September. However with the current plans of 3G rollout by end of this year, even this date seems unlikely.
UPDATE: As of March, 2010, the Mobile number portability has again been delayed by at least 3 more months. It seems, MNP will not begin in India before July, 2010.
Mobile number portability or MNP as it is more popularly called, is the ability for end-users to change their Mobile operator network while retaining their existing mobile number. This service is available in many countries around the world like in most European countries and many asian and african countries. Interestingly, Pakistan also has it.
This service has been in the talks for a long time in India. Initially it was announced that Mobile Number Portability would be started in metro cities by 1 January 2010 and in other places by 1st April 2010. This was however delayed due to BSNL and MTNL lagging behind in the infrastructure required to implement the same. The latest Press release by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), govt. of India, has announced that Mobile Number Portability in India will be implemented by 31st March 2010.
So what does this means for us?
If you have been cribbing about your service provider for whatever reason, or being jealous of your friend or partner’s network’s service but just can’t change your number, then MNP is the solution for you. Personally I have a reliance Telecom number. While I am satisfied with their services, I am stuck with a CDMA handset. I have been wanting to purchase a new business phone, but am unwilling to invest it in a reliance CDMA handset.
So for all such issues, we will now need to fill up a form and pay a maximum of Rs. 19 to migrate to the new network. The switchover should not involve a downtime of more than a couple of hours. I am quite pleased with this development and would be among the first to apply for the MNP service.
