Mobile Number Portability
These days, while there’s lots of buzz surrounding MNP i.e. Mobile Number Portability, there’s little unawareness about it too. In fact MNP has already been launched in India. Here are some of the facts related to the Mobile Number Portability. Hope this will help you out.
What is Number Portability?
Number Portability allows consumers and businesses to keep their existing telephone numbers when they switch operators. It, literally, means that numbers are portable from operator to operator - whether that operator is a mobile, wireline, or VoIP service provider.
Number Portability benefits everyone.
It gives subscribers the freedom to choose operators based on criteria like services, price, and customer service. Their freedom of movement is not influenced by the inconveniences and costs that come with changing numbers.
It also makes it easier for operators to compete for customers, precisely because it eliminates a major barrier to churn - that is, reluctance to change numbers. Although this increased risk of churn is a concern among some operators, number portability has been a huge success around the world, because it helps to level the playing field, giving all operators more opportunities to grow their subscriber bases and revenues.
History of Mobile Number Portability
Though it was introduced as a tool to promote competition in the heavily monopolized wireline telecommunications industry, number portability became popular with the advent of mobile telephones, since in most countries different mobile operators are provided with different area codes and, without portability, changing one's operator would require changing one's number. Some operators, especially incumbent operators with large existing subscriber bases, have argued against portability on the grounds that providing this service incurs considerable overhead, while others argue that it prevents vendor lock-in and allows them to compete fairly on price and service. Due to this conflict of interest, number portability is usually mandated for all operators by telecommunications regulatory authorities. Singapore mobile subscribers were one of the first in the world to enjoy mobile number portability through this Call-Forwarding solution when it was launched there in 1997. Hong Kong, the UK, and Holland followed in 1999 and now over 54 countries around the world have implemented mobile number portability.
Terminologies:
Before getting deep inside the process involved in the mobile number portability let us have a brief idea about the following terminologies, which are very often used in this context.
Porting means the process of moving mobile number from one Service Provider to another Service Provider or from one mobile technology to another of the same or any other Service Provider.
Donor Operator means the Service provider, to whose network the mobile number belongs at the time the subscriber makes a request for porting.
Recipient Operator means the Service Provider who will be providing mobile telecommunication service to the subscriber after porting.
Number Portability Database means the database maintained by each Mobile Number Portability Service provider in electronic form, holding the details of all ported mobile numbers in its zone, along with the complete history of all transactions related to the porting of such numbers.
Per Port Transaction charge means the charge payable by the Recipient Operatorto the Mobile Number Portability Service provider for processing the porting request in respect of a mobile number.
Porting charge means such charge as may be levied by a Recipient Operator from a subscriber for porting his mobile number.
Local Number Portability Database means the database of all ported mobile numbers maintained by individual Service Provider. For BSNL, the SSTPs will serve this purpose.
Location Routing Number means the code assigned to every Service Provider for the purpose of implementing Mobile Number Portability. These are 4 digit codes and have been assigned by DOT. They have been assigned LSA wise, Operator wise and technology wise. BSNL has been allocated 42 codes in total – 21 for GSM and 21 for CDMA.
Dipping means use of query response system of the Mobile Number Portability service provider for obtaining Location Routing Number for routing a message to the called number.
Unique porting code means an alphanumeric code allocated, upon request, by a donor operator to its subscriber for the purpose of facilitation of porting of his mobile number;
MCHA means Mobile Number Portability clearing house administrator , which is the agency responsible for maintaining the MNP database and also known as MNP service provider.
MNP Zones and MCHA’s:
For the implementation of Mobile Number Portability, the entire country has been divided into two zones, viz. zone1 and zone2.
Zone 1 consists of Delhi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP (East), UP (West), Himachal Pradesh and J&K LSAs (License service areas).
Zone 2 consists of Kolkata, Tamilnadu including Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, North East and Orrisa LSAs.
MCHA Licensee for Zone 1 is M/s. Syniverse Technologies (India) Private Limited.
MCHA Licensee for Zone 2 is M/s. MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions India Pvt. Limited.
Porting Procedure for Subscriber
Contact the new mobile Service Provider to whom you want to port your mobile number.
Read the eligibility and other conditions carefully. Please visit www.trai.gov.in for further details.
Obtain Customer acquisition From (CAF) & Porting Form.
If eligible, Obtain ‘Unique Porting Code‘ by sending an SMS from the mobile number you want to port to the number ‘1900’ with text ‘PORT’ followed by space followed by your 10 digit mobile number you want to port.
Fill up the CAF and Porting Form.
Submit the duly filled Porting Form and CAF along with requisite documentary proof of the mobile service provider.
If you are a post paid subscriber, submit a paid copy of the last bill issued along with the Porting Form and CAF.
Obtain new SIM card from the new service provider.
Subscriber can withdraw the porting request within 24 hrs of applying.
Activation of Ported Number
Subscriber new mobile service provider will intimate you the date & time of porting on your mobile phone.
Replace the old SIM with the new SIM provided by your new mobile service provider after the specified date and time.
Eligibility and other Conditions for Porting a Mobile Number
Subscriber is allowed to move to another mobile service provider only after 90 days of the date of the activation of that mobile connection or from the date of porting of the mobile number, whichever is applicable.
Subscriber is allowed to change mobile service provider within the same service area only.
If you are a Post-paid subscribers, please ensure that you have paid all the dues as per your last bill (subscriber will have to sign an undertaking in the Porting Form also).
If you are Pre-paid subscriber, please note that the balance amount of talk time, if any, at the time of porting will lapse.
For detailed regulation please visit TRAI website www.trai.gov.in
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
What do you mean by Mobile Number Portability?
“Mobile Number Portability” means the facility which allows a subscriber to retain his mobile telephone number when he moves from one Service Provider to another irrespective of the mobile technology or from one cellular mobile technology to another of the same service Provider. Hence one can port a CDMA number to GSM and vice versa.
“Mobile Number Portability” means the facility which allows a subscriber to retain his mobile telephone number when he moves from one Service Provider to another irrespective of the mobile technology or from one cellular mobile technology to another of the same service Provider. Hence one can port a CDMA number to GSM and vice versa.
In India it is currently available for intra circle only. However due to the configuration of each Telecom circle porting can also happen between Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh; Bihar & Jharkhand; Rest of West Bengal & Andaman and Nicobar; within the states of the North East excluding Assam.
What are costs and who will absorb them when number portability starts working?
The “Per Port Transaction Charge” as defined by TRAI is up to ` 19/- (Nineteen) per port request.
The “Per Port Transaction Charge” as defined by TRAI is up to ` 19/- (Nineteen) per port request.
What is the status of NP in India today?
The Department of Telecom (DoT) in India has awarded licenses for two mobile number portability clearinghouse vendors to operate clearinghouses in two zones within the country. The MNP service was launched across India by Jan 20, 2011 as per the current timeline decided by DoT.
Can a customer from one state port the same number in another state?
In India it is currently available for intra circle only. For the implementation of Mobile Number Portability, the entire country has been divided into two zones, viz. zone1 and zone2.
However due to the configuration of each Telecom circle porting can also happen between Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh; Bihar & Jharkhand; Rest of West Bengal & Andaman and Nicobar; within the states of the North East excluding Assam.
What circles are in Zone 1?
Delhi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP (East), UP (West), Himachal Pradesh and J&K LSAs (License service areas).
The Department of Telecom (DoT) in India has awarded licenses for two mobile number portability clearinghouse vendors to operate clearinghouses in two zones within the country. The MNP service was launched across India by Jan 20, 2011 as per the current timeline decided by DoT.
What circles are in Zone 2?
Kolkata • Tamil Nadu including Chennai • Andhra Pradesh • Karnataka • Kerala • Madhya Pradesh • West Bengal • Assam • Bihar • North East • Orissa
• Kolkata • Tamil Nadu including Chennai • Andhra Pradesh • Karnataka • Kerala • Madhya Pradesh • West Bengal • Assam • Bihar • North East • Orissa
How do the two zones affect the consumers when they wish to port?
DOT has decided to implement Mobile Number Portability (MNP) within a circle. Thus a consumer can port their number to another service provider as long as it is done within a circle. Portability between other circles (called Inter circle portability) is not allowed as yet.
DOT has decided to implement Mobile Number Portability (MNP) within a circle. Thus a consumer can port their number to another service provider as long as it is done within a circle. Portability between other circles (called Inter circle portability) is not allowed as yet.
How does a consumer apply to switch their telephone number from one operator to another?
TRAI has decided that MNP would be a recipient driven process. Hence a subscriber would wishes to port should go to the new operator that the subscriber wants to port with his porting request. Click here for the detailed process as defined by TRAI.
TRAI has decided that MNP would be a recipient driven process. Hence a subscriber would wishes to port should go to the new operator that the subscriber wants to port with his porting request. Click here for the detailed process as defined by TRAI.
Who is a recipient operator?
“Recipient Operator" means a Service Provider who will be providing mobile telecommunication service to the subscriber after porting. In other words, recipient operator is the operator that a mobile subscriber wants to port to.
“Recipient Operator" means a Service Provider who will be providing mobile telecommunication service to the subscriber after porting. In other words, recipient operator is the operator that a mobile subscriber wants to port to.
What are the benefits of Mobile Number Portability to the consumer ?
• It’s affordable and convenient.
• Consumer can retain old mobile number while moving from old mobile Operator to the new mobile Operator.
• It’s affordable and convenient.
• Consumer can retain old mobile number while moving from old mobile Operator to the new mobile Operator.
What is the porting time for a consumer?
The Porting Time for a consumer is 7 working days as per TRAI guidelines.
The Porting Time for a consumer is 7 working days as per TRAI guidelines.
What is the duration for which the consumer will get disruption of Service?
Service Disruption during the porting as per the TRAI guidelines is of only 2 hrs.
Can a CDMA subscriber port to a GSM service and vice versa?
Yes. This is permitted.
Yes. This is permitted.
How long the mobile Service will be disrupted during the Mobile Number Portability Process.
There will be service disruption time of only 2 hrs during this process
There will be service disruption time of only 2 hrs during this process.
What is TRAI ?
TRAI is Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI (established 1997) is the independent regulator established by the Government of India to regulate the telecommunications business in India
TRAI is Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI (established 1997) is the independent regulator established by the Government of India to regulate the telecommunications business in India
The draft regulations are available on TRAI’s website
www.trai.gov.in.
