With the launch of nationwide mobile number portability on Friday, mobile users can retain their numbers despite changing states/circles across the country, without incurring any roaming charges.
Currently, MNP is only available within a state/circle.
To avail of the new facility, subscribers will have to visit a store of their telecom operator or call the customer care number concerned.
Experts say only two per cent of the country’s overall mobile user base is expected to avail of the facility.
Telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Uninor, MTS, Reliance Communications, Videocon Telecom, BSNL and MTNL have already announced the launch of full MNP on Friday.
Together, the operators have invested about Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) to upgrade their networks and install equipment for implementation of the new facility.
In 2011, when MNP was introduced, telcos had invested about Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) for the facility.
As of April 30 this year, there were 157.01 million requests for MNP, according to data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
India’s mobile user base stands at 973.35 million and 869.93 million of these are active users, the data show.
Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecom operator, has announced various freebies with the MNP facility.
For instance, the operator’s subscribers can port within Airtel’s network in 24 hours and avail of free incoming on roaming until the portability request is processed.
In terms of MNP, Idea Cellular has already declared itself the market leader. In a statement, the company said, “Idea has been the MNP leader, with a net gain of about 14 million customers so far, through intra-circle MNP services.”
Vivek Mathur, chief commercial officer of Vodafone India, said, “Customers will be the biggest gainers of the national MNP service, as it allows them to carry their existing number across India and choose an operator of their choice.
"Vodafone has benefited from intra-circle MNP, rolled out in 2011. We look forward to a similar response this time.”
Earlier, nationwide MNP was to be implemented from May 3 but the government extended the deadline by two months, as operators were yet to test the new software.
Also, for implementation of full MNP, operators’ networks had to be reconfigured to treat a mobile user’s calls in a new circle as local and vice-versa.
And, the networks had to be aligned with the new national numbering plan.
The Department of Telecommunications had amended the national numbering plan, asking operators to allow subscribers to dial mobile numbers within their circle, as well as inter-circle, without any prefix.
Calls can also be made using the prefix ‘0’ and/or ‘+91’.
DoT had approved Trai’s recommendations on full MNP on November 3, 2014, to be implemented within six months.
TO AVAIL OF NATIONWIDE MNP
Image: Prem, the son of an idol vendor, plays with a mobile phone in front of the idols of Hindu God Krishna. Photograph: Ajay Verma/Reuters
10 risks of mobile banking transactions
Airtel becomes world's third largest mobile operator