MNP further delayed by 3 months till June 30

The mobile number portability (MNP) service, which enables subscribers to retain their numbers while changing operators, is delayed by another three months till July as the necessary network is not yet in place.

The launch of MNP has been further extended to June 30, 2010 after assessing the readiness of various operators, an official statement said.

This is for the second time the MNP launch is delayed. As operators could not meet the deadline of December, it was delayed till March 30. Now, the roll-out will not happen before July.

The operators are required to carry out various activities, including establishing links with MNP operators and conducting interoperator test.

The activities related to Inter Operator Test may be carried out by all service providers by May 15, 2010," the statement said.

Players like BSNL, MTNL and Uninor, who are yet to install the MNP gateways, were asked to start the tests immediately to meet the May deadline.

After assessing the results, Department of Telecom (DoT) will finally decide the dates for MNP implementation.