Mobile number portability (MNP) is much awaited and discussed in India since last 2 years. It is the procedure of porting (shifting) your mobile telephone numbers from one mobile network operator to another. It is specially required when you want to change your mobile phone operator without changing your number. The MNP service is available for both GSM and CDMA in addition to pre-paid and post-paid customers.

Mobile number porting is becoming more and more popular all over the world owing to the savings that can be made by changing mobile phone operators to get enhanced mobile phone tariff. Mobile number portability service is also aka 'Recipient-Led' porting. Only UK has not implemented MNP service. In India, MNP service has been implemented from 31st October 2010.

MNP benefits for subscribers:

• Survival of the most competent and promising providers in the market
• Better quality & bouquet of value-added services offered by any operator
• Competitive tariff package will be offered by all providers

MNP benefits for mobile network providers and the mobile industry:

• Updated technology and latest sophistication prevent stagnation of resource upgradation
• Healthy competition between providers

After a two year postponement, MNP (Mobile Number Portability) service has been announced by Communications and IT minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday 25th November 2010 in Rohtak, Haryana. It will be available in other parts of the country after 20th January, 2011. The MNP service is specially created for those people who are not happy with their current telecom providers and can not transform due to their contact numbers. Now, they can change their mobile network operator without changing contact numbers by mobile number portability.

For transferring Mobile network, customer must give maximum of Rs.19 to new operator who has also right to free or cut the portability charges. To apply for MNP service, customers must have connection for at least 90 days otherwise they are not eligible for it. If you are already changed operator one time, then you must wait for 3 months for applying again. Post-paid subscribers must paid their last bill before making the porting request otherwise the request for porting will be rejected. Pre-paid customers can not get any balance amount left when they transferred number to the new service operator.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, “The maximum time period for porting would become seven working days except in Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and North East licenced service areas.”

How to switch your Service Provider?

For porting your Service Provider, you need to send a SMS (PORT<space>Mobile Number) from your number to 1900. After sending it, customers will get the 8-digit Unique Porting Code (UPC) which is valid for only 16 days by from his present service operator. After then, customers need to apply in the approved application form using UPC code. Within 48 hours, the new service provider will take action to acquire the necessary processes fulfilled to facilitate the customers get linked to his network. Porting process must be finished in seven working days.

According to TRAI estimates “about 10 per cent of the mobile subscriber base is expected to benefit itself of the service in the first year, which will fall down to just 5 per cent by the third year.” With MNP service, subscribers may face some problems in Handset portability from GSM to CDMA type of networks, SMS routing, dispute resolution machinery and guidelines for mobile service providers, porting fees and guidelines, etc.

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