Mobile Number Portability – Opportunities and Challenges

The Indian telecom industry is one of the fastest growing in the world and is projected that India will have 'billion plus' mobile users by 2015. Projection by several leading global consultancies is that India’s telecom network will overtake China’s in the next 10 years. Amid this the introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) would benefit the subscribers as they will be getting improved services that too at a lesser cost. MNP allows subscribers to retain their existing mobile telephone numbers when switching from one access service provider (telecom operator) to another, irrespective of mobile technology or from one technology to another, of the same or any other access service provider. In other words, it enables the subscriber to retain his/her phone number, when switching subscription from one mobile service provider to another.This study focuses on the implementation, evaluation and affects of MNP on various service providers in Indian market, various aspects covering portability rate, charges, benefits of MNP to customers and telecom service providers, prospective effects of MNP on telecom subscribers, MNP portability report, suggestions for telecom service providers etc.