Mobile Number Portability (MNP) has crossed a landmark figure of 100 million with 11 per cent of the total mobile subscribers exercising this facility till date.

The number of subscribers who successfully ported their mobile number has used 100 million mark, telecom regulator Trai said in a statement.

Mobile number portability is a facility for the mobile telephone user which allows him to retain his mobile telephone number when he moves from one access provider to another access provider in the same service area irrespective of the mobile technology or from one cellular mobile technology to another of the same access provider.

MNP was introduced across the country on January 2011. Introduction of MNP has empowered the mobile subscriber and given them freedom to change their service provider without changing their mobile number.

Keeping in view the consumer interests, Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) prescribed a porting charge of Rs 19 which is among the lowest in the world.

In 2011, the porting request rejection rate was around 40 per cent which has been brought down to 11 per cent now. In this process, Trai issued a number of directions and orders to the telecom service providers.

In addition, financial disincentives to the tune of about Rs 8 crore (Rs 80 million) have also been levied on various service providers, wherever they have been found in violation of MNP regulations on account of wrongful rejection of porting requests, it said.