Mobile Number Portability Launched in Haryana, Nationwide Launch on January 20, 2011; Change Operators for Rs 19 or less

Mobile Number Portability Gets India The Power to Swap Services

Mobile Number Portability service was launched at Rohtak, Haryana today. The service was launched by Shri Kapil Sibal, the Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology by making the inaugural call to Shri Bhupindrer Singh Hooda, the Chief Minister of Haryana from a ported mobile number.The one-time charge that needs to be paid by subscribers would depend on operator-to-operator, but the charge cannot exceed Rs 19. Speaking on the occasion Shri Sibal announced that this service will be launched in the entire country on January 20, 2011. The Minister said now the mobile subscribers of Haryana will be able to exercise their choice of telecom service provider. He said the choice based services initiate healthy competition among service providers which ultimately benefits ‘Aam Aadmi’.

Shri Kapil Sibal said that as a result of forward looking Government policies and active contribution from the Telecom Service Providers, mobile subscriber base has reached around 700 million from mere 33 million in March, 2004. As continued efforts of the Government to increase competition in the market and to provide wider choice to customer, Mobile Number Portability will be an important step.

The networks in all the remaining 21 Licensed Service Areas have started migration for working in the MNP environment. For orderly technical migration of complex interconnected networks, each of the remaining service areas will be migrated one by one on alternate days. This will enable simultaneous validation of technical parameters and removal of any problems arising from migration activity to ensure successful and smooth migration of a service area. Migration activities will not take place during the festival season at the end of December, 2010.

The one-time charge that needs to be paid by subscribers would depend on operator-to-operator, but the charge cannot exceed Rs 19.

Any mobile subscriber must have used the number for at least 90 days before availing of MNP service.

India has more than 700 million subscribers across the country with nearly 10 operators in each circle.