Here are the key takeaways of the long awaited Mobile Number Portability in India.
- MNP allowed only within a circle – subs moving from one circle to another cannot port their number.
- Subscribers allowed to port their numbers, only once every 90 days
- Subscribers would have to pay porting fees, if any, to the Recipient Operator (RO)
- Prepaid subs would lose ‘balance talktime’, any non-refundable deposits upon porting
- RO should forward porting request to MNP service provider (SP) within 24 hours
- DO should give clearance to port the number within 24 hours on receiving request from MNP SP
- On a date decided by MNP SP, DO would be instructed to disconnect the number within one hour; after that RO would be given one hour (the ‘no service’ period) for activating the subscriber
- In case of subscribers defaulting on DO dues, RO should disconnect ported subscriber (on expiry of notice period for paying dues); the number would be returned to number range holder
- RO to pay ‘port transaction charge’ to the MNP service provider; operators to pay dipping charges (on per call basis) for use of MNP SP’s MNP database.