Mobile Number Portability in metros by Jun'09: DoT

New Delhi, Sept 18 (UNI) Telecom Secretary Siddarth Behura today said Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will be launched in the major metros of the country by June next to cover the entire India by the 2009-end.

''Mobile Number Portability will be launched in metros by June 2009 and it will take another six months to roll out MNP in rest parts of the country,'' Mr Behura told reporters here.

MNP enables mobile phone users to retain their numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another.

He said the bidding will be opened in a week's time for an agency that will look after the rollout of the proposed MNP.

''The agency will be finalised in three months time,'' the Secretary said.

A significant technical aspect of MNP is related to the routing of calls or mobile messages-- SMS and MMS-- to a number once it has been ported.

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