Thread: Number portability

One of the most awaited things thing in the mobile market is number portability system and it is something which was supposed to be in the Indian market some time ago, but got delayed.
Many mobile service providers have been wanting to avoid this which cause some delay but the industry experts say that this will change now.

If sources are correct then Mobile Number Portability will be introduced in India by the end of this year and to be precise December 31st.

The number portability will begin in four metro cities at first and other cities will begin to follow and by March 2010 all the country will be able to avail from this service.

These are just talks, and seeing how things have been there may be further delays so if your someone who is waiting for this and not changing your service provider because of having the same number, you may just have to wait a bit longer.

Number portability is being opposed by operators for some reason or another - the most common reason is being technical issues.

Some operators are afraid that their customers may switch to a provider with stronger network. Others are afraid that their customers may switch because someone else is cheaper. But that is how free market economy works.

I am also a supporter for DTH CPE interoperability.

I am very hopeful of another price war amongst mobile phone service providers once number portability becomes operational. Dont know about others but I will change my service provider.

I may not change my provider (Idea) as its services are best for MH.

As far as landline goes, I am unlikely to move anywhere.

[QUOTE=
I am also a supporter for DTH CPE interoperability.[/QUOTE]

Me Too.........................

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will kick in from December 31 across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, while the rest of the country will have access to the facility from March 31, 2010.

TRAI has also formulated the Rules & Criteria For Applying For Mobile Number Portability In India.

When will Mobile Number Portability Be Operational?
Subscribers in metros and category ‘A’ service areas (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra & Goa and Andhra Pradesh) will be able to apply for mobile number portability starting this new year’s eve. Others in B and C class cities will have to wait for 3 more months (March 20, 2010, to be precise) to be able to shift to a new network. They will be missing out on the deals and promotions being offered in the meantime and the launch of new telco Uninor (the recently renamed Unitech Wireless) which is expected end of year.

Criteria For Applying For MNP, 3 Month Rule
MNP facility shall be available only within a given licensed service area. So if you are moving to another city and want to retain your mobile number, MNP is not the answer. Mobile users may only apply for MNP if they want to switch networks in the same area where their existing mobile number is registered.

The 3 Month Rule. A subscriber is eligible to make a porting request only after 90 days of the date of activation of his mobile connection. If a number is already ported once, the number can again be ported only after 90 days from the date of the previous porting. TRAI has explained that this minimum period is required so as to enable the service provider to recover the customer acquisition cost.

Disconnected: After porting of a mobile number, if it remains disconnected for 90 days, it will be reversed back to the number range holder (original operator).

Whom To Approach? SMS the operator to which you want to switch and ask for your unique porting code, which is an alphanumeric code allocated upon request. Operators have been directed to set up a mechanism (a shortcode) to receive the SMSs and respond with the unique porting code. Subscribers will also have to give in writing their request to the operator to which they are switching and fill up a customer acquisition form, which the operator will verify.

Operator’s Task: After verifying the porting code, identity and address of the user, the recipient operator (which the subscriber is joining) has to forward details to the mobile number portability service provider within 24 hours.The operator has to pay a ‘per port transaction’ charge for each request forwarded by it to the MNP provider. They would have to examine the request carefully as there is no provision for refund of porting charges from the MNP provider.

Price? Users will have to pay a porting charge to the operator to which you are switching. The price has not been fixed yet and could be anywhere between Rs. 20 to Rs. 200. You will not need to pay a penny to the operator you are leaving.

No Dues. The subscriber making the porting request should clear all the bills issued prior to the date of porting request. He shall provide a written undertaking that he has already paid all billed dues as on the date of the request for porting and that he shall pay dues to the operator till its eventual porting. In the event of non-payment of any such dues to, the ported mobile number shall be liable to be disconnected.

Prepaid Users: Upon porting of the mobile number, the balance amount of talk time at the time of porting shall lapse.

Legal Criteria. MNP will not be permitted if there is a pending request for change of ownership of the mobile number; if it is sub-judice and if the porting has been prohibited by a court. In case a subscriber has not complied with exit clauses in his contractual obligations, the request can be rejected.

Changed My Mind. A subscriber may withdraw his porting request within 24 hours of its submission. However, the porting charges are not refundable.

Routing: Once the donor operator has disconnected the mobile number and the recipient operator has activated it, the MNP provider allocates the corresponding Location Routing Number to the ported number in the Number Portability Database and broadcasts the updated Location Routing Number along with the ported mobile number to all Access Providers and International Long Distance Operators who shall update their respective Local Number Portability Database.

Per Port Transaction Charges: Recipient operators have to pay the MNP provider per port transaction charges on a monthly basis.

Interconnect Agreements: All existing interconnect agreements and arrangements between Access Providers, National Long Distance Operators and International Long Distance Operators shall stand amended so as to conform to the provisions of these regulations as regards routing of calls to and from ported mobile numbers.

How Long Will It Take? The porting process will take a maximum time period of 4 days in all licensed service areas except in the case of J&K, Assam and North East where the maximum time allowed is 12 days. Weekends are excluded from this time frame.

No Service Period: The window period for disconnection and activation by operators has been kept at one hour each, so the maximum downtime for the subscriber will be two hours.

Source: TRAI

thanks for the info rameshjeee...porting charges have been fixed @ Rs.19 by TRAI.. so u just have to shell out Rs.19 for retaining ur old number..