Mobile Number Portability in India Likely by Mid 2009

Are you cell phone user unhappy about your service provider, and not being able to switch to another provider because you don’t want to loose your current cell phone number? Well, you should be able to switch to another service provider without any cell phone number change by Mid of next year, at least in metros.

The Government of India has finalized the the road map for the introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) that will give mobile phone users the freedom to choose their service provider while retaining their numbers. In November 2007, the minister had announced the decision to introduce MNP, and the modalities have now been finalized with suggestions from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

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ET reports that this would get implemented by the summer of 2009 in a few circles. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will select a few centralized operators, Mobile Number Portability Clearing House Administrator (MCHAs),  to setup Number Portability Database (NPDB), administer and implement the MNP service.

The Number Portability Database will have the mobile numbers of all mobile users. All mobile service providers will then link their networks with that of the MCHAs and NPDB.

Source: ET