Mobile Number Portability is going operational from January 1, 2010. You can change your mobile operator retaining the same mobile number at your will at just Rs. 19. TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has released a Press Release fixing the porting cost at Rs. 19 and porting will take a maximum of 4 days.
TRAI explains Mobile Number Portability (MNP) as “it allows the subscribers to retain their existing mobile telephone number when they move from one Access Provider to another irrespective of the mobile technology or from one cellular mobile technology to another of the same Access Provider, in a licensed service area. The facility of retention of existing mobile telephone number despite moving to a new telecom service provider helps in increasing competition between the service providers and acts as a catalyst for the service providers to improve their quality of service.”
These days, I can see a lot of people carrying SIMs of other networks just because it has low-priced call rates. Here in Hyderabad, TATA DoCoMo entering the market with second pulse rate made a huge impact. Dual SIM mobiles have got sudden demand and everyone has got two SIMs, one DoCoMo SIM and one their good old number.
Now with MNP going operational, things will change a lot and there will be a huge competition between the mobile operators to retain their customers as the customer can change their operator if service is not good or others offering a low tariff, which TRAI thinks will intensify the competition thus by making mobile communication so cheap.
TATA DoCoMo’s one second pulse rate made a revolution in the cellular industry and intensified the competition between the service providers to a level that now every one has to offer one second pulse billing to retain their customers. Mobile calling charges have come down to 50 paise per minute. Roaming charges are also coming down these days.
Download a copy of Mobile Number Portability Press Release in PDF form here.