Mobile number portability may be delayed

Mobile number portability may be delayed

May be delayed by a month as the MNP transfer fee is yet to be decided

Prasoon Srivastava

Thursday, July 16, 2009

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Mobile Number Portability (MNP), which is scheduled to start from this October, may be delayed by a month as the final figures for MNP transfer fee is yet to be decided, said an official from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

“TRAI is likely to float consultation for MNP next week. After which we will be able to decide on the final fee for it. There are chances of slight delay. It may start from November but we are making our efforts to be in time,” said the official.

MNP will provide the customer the facility to retain the same number and switch from one operator to another within the same service area, irrespective of the mobile technology or from one mobile technology to another of the same mobile telephone service provider.

As per a TRAI draft for MNP, a subscriber shall be eligible to make a request for porting mobile subscriber number upon expiry of a period of ninety days from the date of activation of his mobile connection, or, where such mobile subscriber number has been ported earlier, from the date of activation of his mobile subscriber number after the last such porting, as the case may be.

This means that a subscriber will be free to change operator any number of times, of course, on payment of a transfer fee for it.

According to some media reports, MNP transfer fee is likely to be between Rs. 200 and Rs. 300 but the official refused to confirm these as he said TRAI is yet to decide on it.

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