Mobile number portability (MNP) , which allows a subscriber to change his operator and retain his mobile number, will be launched on November 1, Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja said on Tuesday.
“Starting from the Haryana circle, the facility will be rolled out across the country from next month… All the 22 circles will get this service in a phased manner by this year-end,” Mr. Raja told journalists here.
Its implementation was delayed thrice for various reasons, including non-preparedness on the part of the implementing authorities and lack of necessary infrastructure.
Because of the scale of the project, the Department of Telecommunications has divided 22 circles into two geographic zones. Each zone is further broken down into 11 service areas that represent cities within the zone.
Zone 1, which covers the northern and western regions, has been given to Syniverse Technologies, while Zone 2 that includes the south and east regions has been awarded to MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions, a 74:26 joint venture between the U.S.-based Telcordia and Deepak Talwar Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
