Change mobile operator, keep same number from Nov 1

From November 1, you’ll be able carry your mobile number across service providers. Mobile number portability (MNP) has been set a deadline of October 31, MoS for communications and IT Sachin Pilot told Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

From November 1, you’ll be able carry your mobile number across service providers. Mobile number portability (MNP) has been set a deadline of October 31, MoS for communications and IT Sachin Pilot told Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

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Once MNP is implemented, competition between operators is expected to increase and quality of services to improve.

Generally, customers don’t want to change numbers they’ve been using. This benefits operators as subscribers are forced to stick with them even if they are dissatisfied with services.

This is the fourth deadline for MNP in seven months. The first was December 2009. It was extended to March 2010 and then to June. Operators still weren’t ready, so a new October 31 deadline was set.

Pilot told the House all networks have since been technically upgraded for implementation of MNP, except Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd, which is in the process of getting ready.

“Keeping the complexity of the testing involved before MNP is implemented and in view of the status of implementation by various operators in June, the government has extended the time line to October 31,” Pilot said in a written reply.