Naveen's Blog

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is going to be fully implemented from tomorrow, January 20, 2011 throughout India. Now, you can choose the mobile operator keeping your mobile number intact. From tomorrow onwards, no need to worry about the poor connectivity or less options to choose from your current provider. Change your service provider keeping your mobile number same. Jump from GSM to CDMA and vice versa.

Affordable & Convenient

• Porting Charge only up to Rs. 19/-
• Porting time: 7 working days (15 working days in case of Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and North East service areas)

In the interest of consumers TRAI has also specified that service disruption time shall not exceed 2 hours, that too during night time.

Request for Porting

• Contact the new mobile service provider to whom you want to port your mobile number.
• Obtain Customer Acquisition Form (CAF) & Porting Form.
• Read the eligibility and other conditions carefully.
• If eligible, obtain ‘Unique Porting Code‘ by sending an SMS from the mobile number you want to port to the number ‘1900’ with text ‘PORT‘ followed by space followed by your 10 digit mobile number you want to port.
• Fill up the CAF and Porting Form.
• Submit the duly filled Porting Form and CAF along with requisite documentary proof to the mobile service provider.
• If you are a post paid subscriber, submit a paid copy of the last bill issued along with Porting Form and CAF.
• Obtain new SIM card from the new service provider

You can withdraw your porting request within 24 hrs of applying.

Activation of ported number:

• Your new mobile service provider will intimate you the date & time of porting on your mobile phone.
• Replace the old SIM with the new SIM provided by your new mobile service provider after the specified date and time.

Eligibility and Other Conditions

• You are allowed to move to another mobile service provider only after 90 days of the date of activation of your mobile connection or from the date of last porting of your mobile number, which ever is applicable.
• You are allowed to change mobile service provider within the same service area only.
• If you are a postpaid subscriber, please ensure that you have paid all the dues as per your last bill (You will have to sign an undertaking in the Porting Form also).
• If you are a Pre-paid Subscriber, please note that the balance amount of talk time, if any, at the time of porting will lapse.

\\ tags: 1900, MNP, Mobile Number Portability

Mobile Number Portability is going operational from January 1, 2010.  You can change your mobile operator retaining the same mobile number at your will at just Rs. 19.  TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has released a Press Release fixing the porting cost at Rs. 19 and porting will take a maximum of 4 days.

TRAI explains Mobile Number Portability (MNP) as “it allows the subscribers to retain their existing mobile telephone number when they move from one Access Provider to another irrespective of the mobile technology or from one cellular mobile technology to another of the same Access Provider, in a licensed service area.  The facility of retention of existing mobile telephone number despite moving to a new telecom service provider helps in increasing competition between the service providers and acts as a catalyst for the service providers to improve their quality of service.”

These days, I can see a lot of people carrying SIMs of other networks just because it has low-priced call rates.  Here in Hyderabad, TATA DoCoMo entering the market with second pulse rate made a huge impact.  Dual SIM mobiles have got sudden demand and everyone has got two SIMs, one DoCoMo SIM and one their good old number.

Now with MNP going operational, things will change a lot and there will be a huge competition between the mobile operators to retain their customers as the customer can change their operator if service is not good or others offering a low tariff, which TRAI thinks will intensify the competition thus by making mobile communication so cheap.

TATA DoCoMo’s one second pulse rate made a revolution in the cellular industry and intensified the competition between the service providers to a level that now every one has to offer one second pulse billing to retain their customers.  Mobile calling charges have come down to 50 paise per minute.  Roaming charges are also coming down these days.

Download a copy of Mobile Number Portability Press Release in PDF form here.

\\ tags: MNP, Mobile Number Portability, TRAI