MNP may miss October 31 deadline too

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Though the Department of Telecom is claiming that the much awaited (and much delayed) mobile number portability (MNP) will be implemented by the last set deadline of 31st October 2010, in all possibility it will miss the deadline again.

Though a DoT official, in an interaction with CIOL, expressed confidence about the MNP implementation, a cross-checking with some industry sources pointed out that MNP implementation has high probability of missing this deadline as well.

“We have started testing MNP network on September 25. Most of the operators had not issued number and allocated resources for this test. Though we have started the test a little late, we expect to meet the deadline,” said a DoT Official.

For MNP network test, each operator had to allocate 75 to 100 mobile numbers, a mobile phone and human resource, which according to the DoT official was not done in time.

CIOL checked this delay by operators with an official of a telecom service provider association. The official on condition of anonymity told CIOL that he does not see MNP getting implemented by the set deadline.

“The test has started late. This test only will take a month. Based on the test results, operators will be asked to make necessary upgrading or tune their network to support MNP. This will further take a month's time. I don’t see any chance of MNP getting implemented before November end,” said the official of telecom service provider association.

This official also cited that regulatory issue related to MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions, a joint venture of Telcordia Technologies, one of the licensees for implementation of MNP, can further lead to delay.

MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions was selected for the implementation of MNP in south and east zones of India.

DoT has issued show cause notice to Telcordia Technologies asking the reason as to why its license for MNP should not be cancelled after Foreign Investment Permission Board rejected its proposal citing security concern raised by Ministry of Home Affairs.