Mobile number portability launched

Sibal said that the choice based services initiate healthy competition among service providers which ultimately will benefits ‘Aam Aadmi’. The networks in all the remaining 21 Licensed Service Areas have started migration for working in the MNP environment. For orderly technical migration of complex interconnected networks,each of the remaining service areas will be migrated one by one on alternate days. This will enable simultaneous validation of technical parameters and removal of any problems arising from migration activity to ensure successful and smooth migration of a service area. Migration activities will not take place during the festival season at the end of December,2010.

With this launch Haryana achieved another first today and the customers in the state will now have the option of changing their service provider without changing their mobile numbers. There are eight mobile operators in Haryana: Airtel,Idea Cellular,BSNL,Aircel,Loop,Vodafone,Etisalat and Videocon. For now,MNP will be allowed only within the circles. The customer will have to pay a maximum of Rs 19 to new operator to change network and the new operator has the option to waive off the fee or reduce it. But the minimum stay period with one operator for consumer is three months. Both pre-paid and post-paid consumers can use MNP.

Speaking on the occasion,Sachin Pilot,Union Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology said that Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is making an all out efforts to bridge the rural urban divide through telecom technology. He added that India is now ushering into an era of convergence of technology and mobile applications which will enable us to ensure delivery of quality services in the rural and far flung,remote areas.

Hooda said that launching of the Mobile Number Portability certainly marks a commendable step in providing a competitive edge for the subscribers. The roll-out of Mobile Number Portability will allow subscribers to switch from one mobile phone service provider to another without changing their mobile phone numbers,he added. Hooda said that the fact that Haryana has been chosen for launching of this service has added another feather in the cap of the state and it was a matter of pride for people of the state.Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda demanded that the NCR areas of Haryana should be made roaming free for the cellphone subscribers.

Meanwhile Bharti Airtel,a leading g;obal communications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa welcomed the availability of MNP services in Haryana. ”With the help of this service we hope to extend this value to our wider customer base,” said Shashi Arora,CEO,Upper North Mobile Services,Bhartio Airtel.

Welcoming the launch of MNP,the BSNL,Haryana Circle,Ambala,said no migration charges would be taken from the customers for providing MNP services and the first recharge will be absolutely free at all BSNL customer service centres. The BSNL also offered an additional talk value of Rs 100 totally free along with the first free recharge coupon under MNP and free unlimited GPRS for a month.