Updated : Govt Allows Mobile Number Portability; To Start By 2009 !

[vmsanghrajka 0]

GSM lobby opposes internal portability

An operator wants to transfer its CDMA customers to its own GSM network.

In an attack on CDMA telecom operators offering GSM services, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the GSM lobby, has objected to “internal” mobile number portability.

In a presentation to the Department of Telecom (DoT) today, the COAI challenged a proposal by a CDMA operator that it be allowed to transfer its CDMA customers to its proposed GSM network.

The internal number portability, if allowed, is likely to benefit service providers like Reliance Communications (RCom), Tata Teleservices and state-owned BSNL and MTNL which offer both GSM and CDMA services.

Mobile number portability gives consumers the choice to change their operator while retaining the number. The DoT guidelines for number portability allow customers to migrate from CDMA to GSM technology within the same operator. However, the COAI contends that such migration has to be conducted through an appointed agency — a sort of clearing house —and not through an internal arrangement by an operator.

The GSM operators have said the move will leave the agency redundant, also ensuring that the exchequer loses the entry fee of Rs 1 crore the agency will pay. The government would also lose the annual licence fee paid by the mobile number portability licensee, they said.

The association said allowing migration from CDMA to GSM would give the operators unfair chance to increase their subscriber base, which is the basis for allotting additional spectrum. The COAI, in its presentation, said, “Manipulation of subscribers could enable the service provider to misuse the system to grab additional spectrum, manipulate revenue streams for different technologies to evade spectrum-usage charges, creating a non-level-playing field among other operators in the industry.”

The COAI said that since the portability would be internal and without the requisite approval by the agency, it would give the operator an edge by allowing it to offer number portability before the scheduled time.

The COAI has requested that the number portability should be introduced at the same time for all operators and should be subject to same policy guidelines. And if the government gives the go-ahead to one operator, the advantage should be offered to other operators as well by allowing them to “internally” port their subscribers to each others’ networks.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/sto...p?autono=336592

[Honest 836]

90 pc mobile users do not want to change their operator: Study

12 Oct, 2008, 1318 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: As the country prepares to ring in mobile number portability that allows mobile subscribers to switch operators without changing numbers, a new survey claims that nearly 90 per cent users prefer to stay with their existing telecom service provider.

A study by a research firm Strategy Analytics revealed that close to 90 per cent of country's mobile subscribers do not want to change their operator for at least a year.

"In the last 12 months 81 per cent of the users have not changed their operators and 89 per cent of the users are not going to switch between operators in the next 12 months," the study said.

The study also said that consumers expressed high satisfaction with operators and are unwilling to change their operator in the coming years.

The department of telecommunication (DoT) had announced the MNP policy in August this year. The policy would offer subscribers a choice to change their operators while retaining the existing mobile number.

According to DoT, MNP would be implemented in the four metros by mid 2009 for which the department is in the process of finalising an agency which would execute its implementation in the country.

[@mitJ@in 256]

90 pc mobile users do not want to change their operator: Study

But once MNP Started, and there will be tough competition between Operators.

The most users will churn around the Operators.

[MOBILE FAN 42]

I think many people like me are bored of this MNP discussion. The discussion, paper, consultation, feasibility, etc. etc.. are going on for more than 2 years now. People are just sick of reading the news about this in newspaper. I dont think anybody is serious about this. There were so many deadlines for this in the past and nothing has happened. I think there are two reasons why this has not happened:

1. Raja is helping COAI, just passing time keeping and their (and his ?) interest.

2. The whole thrust has shifted to rural telephony and 3G and this issue has taken a back seat.

[Honest 836]

^^^

Lets hope for the best my dear friends. In the last we will definetely get MNP service. No matter even some more deadlines are on the way.

Regards.

[Honest 836]

Mobile Number Portability Tenders Invited

Bids to be opened on 5th February 2009

As reported, the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) has been pushed to mid-2009. The Department of Telecom recently put up a Mobile Number Portability tender document online inviting bids. The bids will be opened on 5th February 2009.

The best part in the tender conditions that will interest consumers is: the number porting process should be finished in two working days with maximum of two hours of break in service.

The MNP service zones are geographically divided into two where operators can apply for both zones. However, license to only one zone will be granted to them. Check the table below for regions in specific service zones.

Courtesy : Techtree

[Honest 836]

Regulator, TRAI differ on number portability

Business Line l 4 Dec l New Delhi

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has pointed out that the Department of Telecom had changed some of its recommendations on introducing Mobile Number Portability.

In a paper put out its Web site on the status of the recommendations, TRAI said while it had suggested that the entire country should be treated as a single zone, the DoT had made it into two zones.

The telecom regulator had also suggested that telecom operators could have up to 10 per cent stake in the company which will implement MNP, DoT has completely barred operators from having any stake in the company.

While TRAI had suggested a performance bank guarantee of Rs 10 crore and zero entry fee for the company which will set up the MNP system, DoT has imposed an entry fee of Rs 1 crore and bank guarantee of Rs 1 crore. The regulator has pointed out several other changes which the DoT has made compared to the original recommendations.

The regulator has also put up a legal view it had taken earlier on the powers of TRAI. The TRAI had said it was mandatory for DoT send back the recommendations to the regulator if there were any changes which the Government wanted in the original suggestions.

This assumes significance in the wake of recent claims by DoT that its decision to give fresh licences to new players on a ‘first come first served’ basis was based on the suggestions made by TRAI. This is despite the regulator clarifying repeatedly that the Government was selectively implementing its recommendations. The move to put out the status report on MNP can be seen as an attempt by the TRAI to get more transparency in the decision making process.

[HetalDP 947]

What a Governance! Don't know when we could see MNP and 3G.

[Honest 836]

Mobile number portability by end 2009: Govt

11 Dec 2008 l New Delhi l REUTERS

Mobile number portability will likely be implemented across India by the end of 2009, telecoms minister, Andimuthu Raja, said on Thursday.

[ipkonfig 10]

Ha first it was end of 2008, now its end 2009. probably it will be 2012 when MNP comes available to the common man

[Mufaddal 678]

it was always understood that mnp wont have a fix implementation date.....thanks to our ministry :'(

[Honest 836]

DoT working on Mobile Number Portability to meet June timeline

Press Trust of India l 4 Jan l New Delhi

Working towards meeting timeline of June 2009, Department of Telecom will shortly issue clarifications to the bidders on the Mobile Number Portability norms, after which it will start accepting applications from the prospective firms to act as agencies for porting numbers.

The Government has already held the pre-bid conference last month and is about to issue clarifications queries of the operators on the same. The bids are scheduled to be opened on February 5, said an official. The prospective bidders will act as clearing houses and database for the MNP system.

The implementation roadmap for MNP is for Metros and category A circles by middle of 2009 and in the entire country by the end of 2009.

DoT is also likely to take a decision shortly if it is in the ambit of existing norms to allow users to shift between GSM and CDMA services of the same operator before the full-fledged Mobile Number Portability starts between two operators.

The intra-operator MNP is possible with two operators in the Indian context -- Reliance Communications and Tatas, who have both GSM and CDMA operations. While RCom has announced its pan-India GSM services recently, Tatas do have spectrum for GSM service but are yet to start the service.

Tatas have already sided with the GSM operators on this issue, who have opposed the intra-operator portability.

[n_iceman 97]

DoT working on Mobile Number Portability to meet June timeline

Press Trust of India l 4 Jan l New Delhi

The intra-operator MNP is possible with two operators in the Indian context -- Reliance Communications and Tatas, who have both GSM and CDMA operations. While RCom has announced its pan-India GSM services recently, Tatas do have spectrum for GSM service but are yet to start the service.

If MNP within Reliance comes in then we can use a GSM handset instead of being stuck with Reliance CDMA handsets.. while retaining the same number.

One should not buy any Reliance CDMA handset in the near future, in that case.

Hai na?!

[kshah 452]

Mnp will come only after complete reliance gsm roll out or it may happen that Mnp follows reliance gsm foot print.

[vmsanghrajka 0]

After 3G, number portability delayed..

3G (third generation) telecom service is not the only one facing a delay. Mobile number portability, which was set for launch in June 2009, would be deferred as well. The Department of Telecom (DoT) put out a notice on Tuesday saying that the date for issuing clarifications to bidders’ queries has been extended by a month. These are expected to be issued on January 22, according to DoT.

Only after issuing clarifications to the bidders’ queries on mobile number portability norms will the government accept applications from prospective firms to act as agencies for porting numbers.

While the bids were scheduled to be opened on February 5, now even that date has to be shifted by around a month.

Communications minister A Raja had recently announced that mobile number portability would be introduced in metros and category A circles in June 2009. The entire country was expected to have the facility by the end of the year.

One of the issues on which clarification has been sought is whether there can be portability of numbers between GSM and CDMA services, the two mobile communication platforms, before full-fledged portability is rolled out in the country.

Last November, DoT had indicated that number portability would be implemented by December 2008 in the metros. The industry found the revised deadline of June 2009 more realistic since implementation of number portability needs additional investments and an enabling mechanism, including the creation of a Mobile Number Portability Clearing House Administrator.

DoT came up with a roadmap for mobile number portability, based on the recommendation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

Number portability is about shifting to another service provider while retaining your phone number, within the same service area.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1219434

[narinderji 0]

Hey will it possilble to change the state of number too.........

if i change the state can i still use the same number with the local operator of that state??? i want to ask MNP means changing operator within the state of interstate is also possible or not??

[Arun 795]

i want to ask MNP means changing operator within the state of interstate is also possible or not??

uh what?

[narinderji 0]

means suppose i am using airtel haryana.........can i change my number to idea delhi or airtel rajesthan.............means MNP means interstate operator change or not???

[P. K. Daga 3]

intercircle Number portablity will take atleast 2 years.

[ravi_patent 28]

some usefull info on number portability

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/200...11250160300.htm

Indian mobile users will soon get the benefit of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), which will allow them to change their operator without having to give up their phone number.

Navin Suri, Vice-President, Telcordia, one of the companies that has shown interest in implementing the system in India, explains the relevance of number portability. Excerpts from a chat:

India already has a lot of competition in the mobile space. Do we need number portability? What are the benefits to a consumer other than having the choice to retain number?

Number portability benefits consumers. It empowers the consumer to be a lifelong owner of his phone number and fosters additional choice and convenience in communication services and providers with whom they do business. With number portability, operators will look to differentiate themselves on service quality and by accelerating the creation and deployment of new services, all of which will benefit consumers.

Should number portability be introduced across fixed line telephones and cellular phones simultaneously? Is there any risk in introducing mobile number portability alone?

Fixed line and Mobile number portability can be implemented independently. The decision on the best way to roll out number portability varies by country and is subject to how swiftly the operators and the regulator want to implement the service. For instance, across most of the 27 European Union countries and Mexico, both fixed and MNP was implemented together. With that said, there is no risk in implementing MNP by itself.

Several countries have done so, e.g. Malaysia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan, to name a few. With the successful deployment and adoption of mobile number portability these countries are now looking to bring the value and convenience of number portability to fixed lines as well.

Does number portability increase the rate of subscribers leaving one network for another?

Subscribers do not churn because of Number Portability and portability does not increase churn rates. The reality is that consumers change service providers for better services, price or quality. Number portability simply lets them switch carriers and keep their phone number, which is an added convenience and value to the subscriber.

Interestingly, empirical studies have shown that only a small percent of ‘churn’ customers actually port their number — futher underscoring that number portability does not drive customer loyalty in the way that services, quality and prices do. In the US, the annual churn rate 14.7 per cent only turned into 5.4 per cent of ported numbers. In Germany, the churn rate was 20 per cent, of which only 0.4 per cent ported their numbers.

Some insights into how it has worked in other countries…

Number portability varies dramatically by country. There are several factors that contribute to the success of portability. Some of them are:

Customer Satisfaction: Service choice, price and quality are the driving factors as to which service providers customers use. When they feel that they are getting high-quality services at the right price, they are less likely to churn.

Simplicity and Speed: The process to port a number should be simple and quick.

Zero to low porting cost: Regulators in some countries do not permit fee to be charged to subscribers — Denmark, Finland. In other countries, although a subscriber fee is allowed, market forces are driving the porting fee to be free — Hong Kong, Switzerland, Ireland.

Operators in some countries cover the porting fee as subscription fee to all users — US.