Mobile number portability: Switch tele operator!
Here is the good news for all mobiles users. The much awaited Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will be operational in India from Thursday, Jan 20. The MNP scheme was launched first in Haryana in Nov 2010 and now all set to be implemented in all around the nation.
What is Mobile Number Portability:
It's a new development in Mobile Communication Technology. In India there are more than 700 million mobile users. In this service the mobile user can switch to other service provider without changing the mobile numbers. Both prepaid and postpaid tele-users have the facility to switch to other favourable tele-operators.
How to switch - Rules:
- The subscriber, who likes to avail this service, need to send a SMS from his mobile to 1900.
- Once the customer sends SMS, he will be receiving a unique porting code from the current service provider.
- Then he need to fill the application in a particular format and mention the new service provider, the customer would like to subscribe for.
- The new service provider will collect the information about the user from the current operator. A time period of seven days will be taken for the complete transfer of mobile number to the network of the new mobile operator.
- As a transformation charge for the new operator the subscriber has to pay the amount of Rs 19.
Exception: The time period of transferring the MNP in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and North East service areas will be 15 days but not 7 days. [UPDATE: 2G ban ashamed; Mobile Number Portability rescues customers]
Restrictions and limitations:
The
only
restriction
is
that
you
can
change
your
operator
without
changing
your
number
only
within
your
current
service
area.
Suppose
a
subscriber,
who
is
using
a
Mumbai
number,
can
not
switch
to
an
operator
in
Bangalore.
The
subscriber
can
only
change
his/her
operator
within
Mumbai
only.
Experts' take on Mobile Number Portability:
The implementation of MNP will hit the operating margins of service providers and those with deeper pockets would be better placed to cope up (with the new scenario), ratings agency ICRA stated.
The nation wide implementation will increase churn of customers, shoot-up the customer acquisition and retention and lower the ARPUs (average revenue per user) as competitive tariff plans will have to be offered, the agency said in a note.
On service quality, operators will have to focus on better customer care and network coverage while differentiated services like 3G can also swing customers towards a particular operator, ICRA added.
However,
mobile
users
are
advised
to
think
twice
before
switching
to
another
tele
operators
as
surveys
have
revealed
that
the
net
effect
of
number
portability
is
practically
negligible.
Read:
हिन्दी
में
/
ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ
/
മലയാളതതില്
/
தமிழில்
Consumers
are
suggested
to
change
operators
better
based
on
a
perception
of
improvement
rather
than
a
real
difference.
OneIndia News