Mobile Number Portability

                             Those who are still unaware about Mobile Number Portability (MNP),it is a  service using which a mobile  phone subscriber can migrate from one operator to another without having to change his/her mobile number. For example, you can opt to choose for Voafone services on your Airtel number or vice-versa, courtesy MNP. As posted earlier, Mobile Number Portability has already been rolled out for cellular customers at Rohtak, Haryana and will be gradually introduced to other states covering the entire nation by January 20, 2011.

Here are the info relating to Procedure of porting, porting charges and some other important FAQs related to MNP:

Procedure for Porting Mobile Number in India:

• Send an SMS: PORT<space>Mobile Number (that is to be ported) to 1900For ex. PORT 9812345678
• Your existing operator will immediately provide you with a 8 digit alpha-numeric porting code that you need to submit to the operator you wish to opt to along with relevant documents. (The unique porting code will be valid only for 24 hours)
• After consulting with your existing operator, new operator will move your number in a maximum of 4 days.

Charges for Porting Mobile Number:

As per TRAI, any telecom operator can charge a maximum of Rs. 19 towards porting charges.

FAQs related to Mobile Number Portability:

• When will Mobile Number Portability Services be introduced pan-India?

As per union minister of Telecommunication & IT, Mr. Kapil Sibal, MNP will be introduced pan-India by January 20, 2011.

• What are the minimum and maximum time specified for porting number from one operator to another?

Porting time could be anything between 24 hours to 4 days.

• What are the charges for Porting to another operator?

As mentioned above, service providers can charge a maximum of Rs. 19 for porting a number .

• Who is eligible for availing mobile number portability?

Any customer having a mobile number older than 90 days can migrate to another operator with the same number. He/She will have to wait for another 90 days before being able to port their number again.

• Will my number be dead during the porting process?

As per the details available, a number will remain dead for 2 hours approximately during the porting process. Fortunately, the 2 hours downtime will be between 10 PM and 5 AM IST.

• Can I migrate my post-paid number to another operator with prepaid services or vice-versa?

Yes, that can be done once you clear off all pending dues with the current operator.

• Will my prepaid balance carry-forward to new operator?

Unfortunately not. All remaining balance on your mobile will get lapsed and will not be carried-forward to the new operator. Thus, its advisable to completely use the available talk-time before moving to another operator.

• Can I port my number from one circle (state) to another?

Retaining same number while moving from one state to another is not possible unless MNP services are launched pan-India.

• Can I port my CDMA number to GSM operator or vice versa?

Yes, with the introduction of MNP, moving from CDMA to GSM or vice-versa is possible too, but your existing mobile will be rendered useless if you opt to move from CDMA to GSM technology.

• Can I port my landline number to a mobile service provider?

Porting a landline number to a mobile operator is possible in countries like US though, for now, Indian govt. has planned to launch MNP only for mobile phone users. India might witness landline number portability in the future.

• Will I get any freebies from the operator I am porting my number to?

Keeping in mind the bottle-neck competition in Indian telecom arena, you can definitely expect some freebies and goodies from your new operator. In fact, BSNL and TATA Docomo have already announced various freebies for subscribers porting to them.