Mobile Number Portability

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is a feature which allows a mobile phone subscriber to maintain his same existing mobile number even after he switches to another service operator. For example, if a person uses Vodafone number and plans to change his service operator from Vodafone to say, Airtel or Reliance, then with Mobile Number Portability, he can do that and still manage to retain the same number. This way he doesn’t have to handle the task of sending messages of his new number to his friends and colleagues and also doesn’t lose on business.

Though this feature wasn’t early available in India but now has finally managed to arrive in India. It happened on 20^th January 2011 when Telecom Regulatory Authority of India finally approved it.  With MNP the mobile subscribers that means the customers also get to port between the plans options, i.e. from pre-paid option to post-paid options. BSNL will be the only service provider presently who would not charge any Port-in Fee. But other operators will charge a Nominal port-in fee of Rs.19. This nominal fee is been fixed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Once you apply for Mobile Number Portability you have an option of withdrawing your application within 24 hours. Though remember that you may not get Rs.19 refund. However your application would be withdrawn and your service provider wouldn’t change. One more thing is you will have to wait for at least 2 hours for your mobile number to get ported. Now in these 2 hours, sorry to say, but you may not be able to make any calls or receive any calls. But here too, you need worry about it as, this port exchange happens only from 12:00 am to 5:00 am, when you are busy sleeping. But do remember one thing, that once you port-in your number and change your service provider and then aren’t really happy with it, and again wish to change it back; you will have to wait for 90 days. Nothing can be done in these 90 days, for security issues.

So for MNP, All you need to do is type PORT and send it to 1900 from your existing mobile number. One you SMS, you acquire a unique Porting Code which you would send to the service operator whom you would like to switch to. Once done, wait for the Service operator to get back to you and then they will ask you to complete few formalities like sending relevant documents and once done, all you need to do is wait for the number to port-in.