BSNL favours mobile number portability

New Delhi, Nov 16 (UNI) Country's largest telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) today welcomed the government's move to introduce mobile number portability in the four metros, saying it would make the sector more competitive.

''BSNL welcomes this progressive step taken by the government and fully support the government stand on this issue. Consumer will always have option to choose an operator,'' a company statement said.

It said the step will improve the telecom operators network and step up their customer support.

The government on November 12 had announced that the much-awaited number portability, which will allow mobile users to switch their service provider while retaining the same number, will be started initially in the four metropolitan cities by March 2008.

Recently, Bharti Airtel Chief Sunil Bharti Mittal also supported the number portability, saying it should be implemented nationwide instead of four metros -- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

GSM body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) had also favoured the move and said that this facility should be launched nationwide simultaneously. It should also be implemented in the fixed line segment, it had said.

UNI