Full mobile number portability (MNP) was UPA II’s dream project. However, it remains a non-starter even as the UPA II is on its way out. The union communications minister Kapil Sibal has announced it on a number of occasions. A number of letters have been exchanged between telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAI) and the department of telecommunications (DoT). It is now clear that it will not be implemented during the tenure of the existing government. The credit will go to the new government, may be Narendra Modi’s regime if election surveys are an indication.
Under full mobility the consumers would be allowed to retain their numbers even when they shift from one service area to another.
Currently, MNP is limited to a circle. For example, a mobile subscriber in Delhi can change his operator while retaining his number. However, he has to change his number, if he relocates to another state. If full mobile number portability is implemented, a subscriber can retain his number even if he shifts to another circle and migrates to any operator.
Earlier, the regulator had written to the DoT, early last year that: “The Authority telecom service providers (TSP) may be given six months time to implement full MNP in the country.” However, nothing has happened as of now.
“Full mobile number portability should have been implemented long before. It will also force the operators to improve the quality of services as the consumers will have a choice,” said B. K. Syngal, former chairman and managing director of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL).
The regulator also said that once full MNP is in place, subscribers should be educated to dial numbers in the '+91' format which is the standard dialling format, so that the calls get connected across the country without any trouble. |