Here is the bad news for Mobile Service users who are waiting for the Mobile Number Portability (MNP). India has pushed the implementation of MNP across all the telecom circles to a delay of some more months from the earlier deadline of March 31, 2010.
The Government of India would soon announce the new deadline for implementation of MNP. The revised time line will be announced after ascertaining the status from all the stakeholders and reasonable time required for Acceptance Testing etc., so that no network problem in call processing/completion, surfaces out after MNP Services are launched.
The MNP shall allow mobile subscribers to retain their existing mobile number when they switch from one access service provider to another irrespective of mobile technology or from one technology to another of the same or any other access service provider within same service area.
According to the statement by Mr Gurudas Kamat Minister of State for Communications & IT, "The Government is making all efforts to get the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) implemented at the earliest. However, for this purpose, the whole networks in the country are to be ready and tested before the MNP Service is implemented. Various activities are required to be carried out by the operators including technical augmentation and up gradation of their existing networks, carrying out required installation verification tests, establishing links with MNP Operators and conducting inter operator test."
After the service providers are ready with their own inter-operator test results, a complete Acceptance Test is to be carried out by Department of Telecommunications (DOT) across the networks of all the concerned service providers in all the service areas before
MNP implemented. Though the Government has set the time line for implementing MNP by March 31, 2010, all the networks are not likely to be completely ready by 31st March, 2010 and the deadline of 31.03.2010 is not likely to be met.
The country was divided in two zones and licenses were issued to one MNP operator in each zone. The operators in the two zones of the country were to provide centralized database, query response and clearing house to enable correct routing and termination of calls by access-service providers and ILD operators post MNP implementation.
