Number portability across the country from Jan 20: Sibal

ROHTAK: The much-awaited mobile number portability (MNP), a service that allows subscribers to change service providers while keeping the same number, will be available to more than 700 million Indian subscribers from January 20, 2011, new telecom minister Kapil Sibal said on Thursday, while launching this facility in Rohtak in Haryana.

“Mobile number portability that we are inaugurating in Haryana today will be available on January 20 next year across the country. We will be technically and commercially ready,” Mr Sibal said. Telecom department officials present at the event said that BSNL customers had switched to Idea Cellular and used their examples to demonstrate this facility during the launch.

Mobile phone users in Haryana will be able to switch among nine operators — Airtel, Idea Cellular, BSNL, Aircel, Loop, Vodafone, Etisalat, Sistema and Videocon. The customer has to pay a maximum of Rs 19, the lowest in the world, to migrate to a new mobile phone company. The new operator has the option to provide the service at a lesser rate or even free of cost.