80,000 subscribers opt for MNP service in Haryana

Haryana has seen a significant jump in the number of subscribers requesting mobile number portability (MNP) since the launch of the service in the state on November 24.

There have been porting requests of about 140,000, of which 50,000 were rejected. The actual churn was 80,000, according to initial estimates made by the service providers. Haryana has a total subscriber base of 19 million.

MNP allows subscribers to change their service providers while retaining their numbers. The facility will be introduced in the rest of the country from January 20.

“MNP has become a hit in this initial phase. It is expected to gain momentum. Service providers are offering new schemes to retain clients, but the users are trying the new facility. The actual impact will be known after the all-India launch on January 20,” an executive with one of the operators, which offer services in Haryana said, on condition of anonymity. The view was echoed by other service providers.

MNP is expected to increase competition between providers to improve their service. According to an earlier industry estimate, about 25 per cent of mobile users would like to shift to a new service provider. MNP has been implemented in countries such as the US, Australia and Pakistan.

Subscribers have to pay Rs 19 to avail the service. To port a number, subscribers have to request the new operator for acceptance of his connection and the process would have to be completed in four days. Syniverse and MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions (MITS) have been given a licence by the department of telecommunications (DoT) to implement MNP across the country.

MNP was initially scheduled to be implemented from December 31 in the metros and category-A circles, while the rest of the country was slated to have this platform by April 1. It was then pushed to October 31, but finally the service was launched only in Haryana.