The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had earlier announced that Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will be made available to the telephone users from November 1, 2010. This required up-gradation in the network and various other resources of the Telecom Service Providers.
The networks are now technically ready for launch of service. To facilitate an orderly and reliable introduction of MNP services, a suitable migration plan has been evolved in consultation with Mobile Service Providers (MSPs).
DoT now announces that the countrywide launch of MNP services will start from Haryana Licensed Service Area on November 25, 2010. From this date customers in Haryana will have the option of changing their service provider without changing their mobile numbers. Customers wishing to exercise the option of changing their service provider without change of number will have to send an SMS from their phone to 1900. Based on this they will get a unique porting code as SMS from the existing service provider. The customer can then make an application in the prescribed form mentioning the code to the selected new service provider for porting of number. A period of 4 days has been prescribed for completion of porting (transfer) of the mobile number to the network of the new service provider.
The Mobile network in the country is growing rapidly and currently there are over 650 million customers. This customer base is supported by a large and complex network carrying billions of minutes of traffic per day. Hence, it is necessary to carefully test the capability of the networks of all operators and extend the facility in a suitably phased manner to all service areas in the country.
Accordingly, MNP service in rest of the service areas across the country will be implemented after the launch in Haryana in a phased manner. A detailed schedule for other service areas will be announced separately.
Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications & IT
New Delhi, October 31, 2010