MTNL gearing up for MNP

Gearing up to meet the May 15 deadline for launching mobile number portability (MNP), state-run Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) has invited bids for installing a gateway, crucial for the MNP infrastructure.

Mobile portability service allows subscribers to change the operator while retaining the number. The launch of the service has been delayed twice, as the operators are still setting up the network required for the service.

MTNL has floated the Rs 8-crore tender for supply, installation, testing for the number portability gateway.

An MTNL official said it hope to reach the testing stage of the MNP network by mid-next month. MTNL plans to implement the number portability gateway (NPGW) to support MNP fits networks in Delhi and Mumbai.

A number of operators are currently in the process to set up such gateways to support their MNP network.

“Based on the successful completion of the action taken (tests)..., we will finally decide the dates for MNP implementation,” the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had said.

MNP was to be implemented by December 31, 2009, in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, as well as in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The deadline was later changed to March 31 for launch across the country. In February, DoT said it was planning to launch MNP by the first week of May, with initial launches in Bangalore and Chennai.

But, now there are indications that MNP may be delayed even beyond the latest scheduled roll-out date of June 30.