Mobile number portability delayed again

Mobile number portability delayed againThe UPA government said on Monday that it shall not be able to implement mobile number portability till the end of May'2010 which was earlier scheduled to be applicable from 1 April'2010. Telecom Minister A Raja said, "Due to security issues MNP has been delayed by two months."

The service was earlier to be applied from December 31, 2009 which had to be later revised to March 31, 2010 as several telecom companies had clearly informed the DoT that they are not in the position to implement changes & would be requiring more time to upgrading their networks to meet the desired demand.

Also, BSNL and MTNL, which are government-owned telecom companies, asked for more time to help them get their network ready for implementing this service. Also the home ministry has been consistently pressurising the FIPB to adjourn its sanction earlier in February 2009 to MNP Interconnection Solutions which had been selected by the Department of Telecom & this could also have made the revocation of its operational licence amounting to MNP going in for a fresh tendering stage.

MNP is owned jointly by US-based Telecordia Technologies which holds 74% of MNP Interconnection & India based Deepak Talwar Consultants which owns 20% stake in MNP. This is a type of service which enables its customers to go in for a new mobile service provider while retaining the old number.