Mittal welcomes DoT's move on number portability

New Delhi, Nov 14 (UNI) Bharti Airtel Chief Sunil Bharti Mittal today welcomed the government's move to usher a number portability facility in the four metros and hoped that it would be available countrywide soon.

In offering this modern technology, margins of telecom companies will not be affected, Mr Mittal said.

Telecom Minister A Raja said on Monday that the number portability would begin in four cities -- New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata -- by the first quarter of 2008, which will allow mobile phone customers to retain their cell numbers when they switch their operators.

''If at all, it will increase margins as we will get high-value customers,'' Mr Mittal told reporters on the sidelines of a conference.

UNI