Slow but looking for a steady success

India has pushed the implementation of MNP across all the telecom circles to a delay of some more months from the earlier deadline.

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

A number of operators are currently in the process to set up such gateways to support their MNP network. After the service providers are ready with their own inter-operator test results, a complete Acceptance Test is to be carried out by Department of Telecommunications (DoT) across the networks of all the concerned service providers in all the service areas before.

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

The deadline was later changed for launch across the country. In February 2010, DoT said it was planning to launch MNP by the first week of May 2010, with initial launches in Bangalore and Chennai.

But, now there are indications that MNP may be delayed even beyond the latest scheduled roll-out end of June 2010.