Mobile Number Portability

Mobile Number Portability is a success!

The most awaited mobile service "Mobile Number Portability" has been introduced in India. Now mobile phone users will be able to switch their service providers for network coverage, service quality, customer support and price related issues. The cellular service providers will be able to to switch to another operator who can offer better network coverage, service quality, customer support or price.

Mobile Number Portability Steps:

Step1:

Send a SMS to 1900 using syntax below in your SMS
PORT for example PORT 8254782XXX
After sending the sms You will receive a sms having a unique porting code you can use that code in communication with new service provider for MNP switching.

Step2:

Visit your current service provider office/franchise and clear your outstanding dues or bills if any.

Step 3:

Visit the new service provider’s office and apply MNP service. Here you would need to provide the unique porting code you received in step 1.
and remember, unique porting code has some expiry time, you should complete the process ASAP.
After you apply to New Service provider, they will take some time for the approval process from your old service provider. This may takes 4-7 days approx for completion. During this time current mobile number will remain operative, however a domain time up to 2 hours may occur during technical process of MNP.

Step 4:

Your old service provider will surely tell expected date and time they will switch off your number, while new service provider will start your service thereafter.

Step 5:

MNP charges are Rs.19, these charges are for porting your current mobile phone number from one operator to another. MNP charges should be paid to new service provider only. You will get the New SIM Card from your New Service Provider.
Now all you need to do is, change your SIM card to new after MNP is completed.



Some important instructions for Prepaid and Postpaid Users:

1. Both Prepaid and Postpaid can avail MNP service, infect this program is for everyone.
2. Prepaid account balance will not be forwarded to new service provider. All current balance will lose when you will switch to new service provider, you better consume it before.
3. Postpaid users should clear all outstanding bills before porting the number.

Service Portability availaible for CDMA and as well as for GSM users and now CDMA numbers can be ported to GSM service or vice-versa as well. As an example, It is now possible to shift from Reliance CDMA to Idea GSM.

MNP Program Rules and Limitations:

1. You can’t switch the service provider second time within 90 days of first portability.
2. Circle Limitations is there, MNP does not work in inter circle portability.

The aftereffects of launching the MNP service:

Within a fortnight of Mobile Number Portability becoming available, more than 11 lakh mobile subscribers from a subscriber base of 72.96 crore (refer to the pie chart for additional information) have opted for the facility, that allows users to change their service provider while retaining the number.

MNP services were first launched in Haryana in November last year followed by all of the metro cities and majority of the cities.

Mobile service companies had started marketing their services even before the nationwide roll-out of MNP to woo subscribers from other networks that were already looking at switching operators.With the roll-out of MNP, subscribers will look at changing operators if they are not satisfied with the network coverage or customer care services.

Customers will have to pay a maximum of Rs 19 to an operator to change their network and the new operator has the option to either waive the fee or reduce it. However, a consumer would be required to continue with an operator for a minimum period of three months in order to avail the MNP service.

But some feel the other way around. Almost all mobile service brands say the much anticipated and much delayed mobile number portability is not going to be a game changer in their industry. And yet, not one of them is holding back on doing their best,in effort and expenses,to get subscribers to port from competing service brands to their own.In most countries where MNP has been launched, the action mostly lasted over three-four months, by which time subscribers settled down with the service of their choice.However, port-outs and port-ins are happening with every service, big and small.

While attractive price deals are very visible, the bigger players insist that low pricing cannot be a sole driver for MNP movement.
The possibility of ongoing tactical promotional offers at the local level cannot be ignored. As prices in India are already very low, there is no further scope for a sustainable price drop. With MNP launch, all existing operators will be working on improving their quality of services — network, customer service, products.

Customers responding to MNP are making more considered choices. Their requests are on network quality, service, brand strength and also tariffs.
Consumers are looking for a pan-India network offering seamless connectivity; affordable, relevant products and service offerings; accessible and humane customer care; accurate billing systems; voice clarity; and no call drops. These are the key parameters for satisfaction and will ultimately be the deciding factors for exercising choice, post MNP.

Newer operators are, however, more upbeat on the mix of attractive pricing and less cluttered networks since their subscriber bases are smaller.
MNP is considered as an excellent opportunity to grow for mobile service providers. In itself, MNP is not a basic need. The basic need is the attractiveness of the plan in terms of price and the services we offer on that plan.

Does MNP provide anything then? The answer is Yes. It gives consumers choice. It puts greater pressure on mobile service operators to improve their products, services and quality. Overall, MNP can create better balance in overall deliveries. In the end, Consumers gain.