subject: Mobile Number Portability - Change your telecom provider and not your mobile number [print this page] Mobile Number Portability - Change your telecom provider and not your mobile number
How often have you faced "No network" issues with your mobile phones while on roaming or how often have you found that the service provider has started some service on your prepaid number without your consent? These are a few times when one wishes that one could switch over to another service provider who could provide you with a better customer service, better rates, better network, more transparency in billing etc. But you are stuck with your mobile phone service provider because of your existing mobile number(s), since changing the mobile number (s) can cause you a lot of hassles. Changing the cell phone number may render you unreachable by friends, contacts, associates, and others on your contact list. The impact is huge - Your social life may get affected or you might also lose some business opportunities. However this is soon going to be a thing of the past. With the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) poised to introduce mobile number portability (MNP) very soon, customers can now retain their existing mobile number(s) while changing to another mobile service provider.
What is mobile number portability?
Mobile Number Portability (MNP), a facility to be introduced by the telecom service department, will allow mobile phone customers to retain their existing mobile number(s) when switching from one mobile service provider to another, to avail of better tariffs and services.
Advantages of mobile number portability to mobile users
Designed to be user friendly and quick, Mobile Number Portability is sure to benefit customers in several ways. Introduction of MNP will lead to increased competition between mobile operators, which will spur these service providers to offer competitive rates and improved customer and network services.
Even though you change your service provider you will not have to go through the trouble of having to inform all in your large pool of contacts since you still retain your original mobile number.
Business people who travel frequently, service providers like electricians, sales and marketing personnel, courier boys, etc, who are mostly on duty outside office can always be contactable irrespective of their service provider.
Customers would be able to use this MNP facility at a very nominal cost. The exact details are still being worked out by the TRAI and the various telecom operators.
Customers can switch within the same GSM or CDMA telecom network. What's more you can also change over from GSM to CDMA networks and vice versa which is currently not possible.
Availing this Mobile Number Portability service is really simple. You first need to clear all your dues with your existing service provider. On deciding on the new telecom operator, you simply need to inform them that you wish to retain the old number, choose from the best tariff plans on offer and subscribe in the usual manner. This switch over from one service provider to another will be done within a few hours.
