BSNL may play spoilsport on DoT's MNP roll-out plan

The Department of Telecom today expressed confident that operators would meet the March 31 deadline for rolling out the MNP services but the state-run BSNL said it is difficult to meet the deadline.

The mobile number portability (MNP) services allows users to change the service providers while retaining their numbers.

The delay on BSNL's part could hamper the DoT's rollout plans as effectiveness of the MNP would, to a large extent, depends on preparedness of all operators. BSNL is the fourth largest mobile operator in terms of subscribers.

"We have asked mobile operators to stick to the March 31, 2010 deadline for rolling out the MNP and we are confident that the March 31, 2010 deadline would be met by them. We will continue to review their preparedness," Telecom Secretary P J Thomas told PTI.

Most of big private players on GSM and CDMA platforms have already hinted that they would meet the deadline.

In a meeting between operators and the DoT to review the preparedness for the MNP roll-out, BSNL said it would not be able to roll out before middle of May.

"We got security clearance for MNP gateway only in February 3 which cause a two-month delay in our preparedness. We have issued the advanced purchase order but supply of equipment, installation and testing would take time till mid-May.. March 31 deadline looks difficult as fas as we are concerned", BSNL CMD Kuldeep Goyal told PTI.

When asked about BSNL's security delay issue, Thomas said "now they have got it".