NEW DELHI: Despite Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommendation almost a year ago to introduce mobile number portability (MNP), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) feels that time is still not ripe to introduce the facility that will allow subscribers to change their service providers without changing their mobile numbers.

In March last, TRAI had recommended to DoT fixing a timeframe of 12 months (April 1, 2007) for the launch of the MNP facility, but still there are no signs of the department approving the MNP regime. Even operators are not willing to introduce this facility as they feel that it would adversely impact their subscriber base, particularly in the telecom circles where they are `weak'.

DoT is of the opinion that most mobile operators are at present involved in rolling out of their network in semi-urban and rural areas and, hence, it is not the right time to introduce MNP as they will have to incur heavy expenditure on upgradation of their network and switches. The department also feels that there is enough competition in all the licence areas, so the introduction of MNP will not yield major benefit to subscribers.

DoT feels that in most countries, MNP was introduced at a time when the tele-density was around 25 to 30 per cent. India's overall tele-density in February stood at 18 per cent. Interestingly, with the total number of telephones crossing the 20.3-crore mark, India has become the third largest telecommunication network in the world next to China and the U.S. India today has 16.2-crore GSM and CDMA mobile phone subscribers.

Last year while forwarding its recommendations, TRAI had stated that "it is an appropriate time to initiate the process for implementing MNP to increase subscriber convenience'' as the facility would not only benefit subscribers but also force service providers to improve their quality of service to meet the competition from their rivals.

Subscribers would benefit from lower prices after the implementation of the MNP facility, as has been the case in Hong Kong and Australia where operators compete with one another to provide the best packages and improved customer service.

As per the regulatory authority's recommendation, subscribers opting for MNP would have to make a one-time payment of Rs. 200 that would enable the operator to recover his investment cost in three to five years.

TRAI had also recommended that the number portability facility should initially he introduced in a phased manner and within a particular service area only, starting from metros and `A' category service areas, followed by `B' and `C' category areas within an interval of six months. When contacted, TRAI's Advisor (Mobile Network) Sudhir Gupta said the regulator had already forwarded its recommendations to the DoT regarding MNP and it was up to the department to implement it.

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