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The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Thursday said that Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Services will intensify competition in the telecom sector which will spur further growth.
“It is believed that Mobile Number Portability, besides enabling a subscriber to change operators without losing his or her original number, will also trigger greater competition. The telecom service providers will seek to improve the range and quality of their services in order to retain their existing subscribers and also to attract subscribers from other operators. This should further spur the growth of the Indian telecom sector,” Dr Singh while launching MNP services.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister for Science and Technology, HRD and IT and Telecom, Mr Kapil Sibal, said that though India has introduced MNP relatively late vis-à-vis other developed countries but it has done so by adopting latest technologies and methodology.
“Implementation of MNP will not only give wider choices to the Indian subscribers but will also compel Service providers to offer innovative, affordable and competitive Tariff plans for the benefit of the masses,” Mr Sibal said.
For porting, a subscriber has to send an SMS (PORT<space>Mobile Number) from the number he wishes to be ported, to number 1900. The subscriber will receive a Unique Porting Code (UPC) by SMS from his current service provider.
The subscriber will need to apply in the prescribed application form to the chosen new service provider quoting the UPC which will act as a reference while filling up the application form with the new service provider.
The new service provider will then take action to get the required processes completed to enable the subscriber get connected to his network. Porting has to be completed within seven working days.
TRAI has fixed a ceiling of Rs 19 on porting charges which the new service provider may collect from the subscriber. Once a subscriber ports his number to the new operator, then, he will have to wait for at least 90 days before changing his operator again.
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