New guidelines for MNP

TRAI, the telecom regulator, makes it easier for consumer to avail mobile number portability, now operators can't reject porting request for an outstanding amount of less than Rs 10, they can also not reject the request sighting contractual obligation in case of a premium number.

TRAI, Telecom regulatory authority of India, has come out with a new set of guidelines to make it easier for consumer to port. A key directive is that operators should not reject mobile number portability (MNP) request if the amount due from the customer is Rs10 or less (rounded off to the nearest rupee). The amount can be adjusted in the customer's next bill.

So far, companies have reportedly been rejecting porting requests over outstanding dues of as little as 13 paise. Another reason for porting requests being denied is 'contractual obligation', particularly in the case of premium or vanity numbers. Now, TRAI has ruled that ''since numbering is allocated free of charge by the licensor, service providers are not justified in putting any condition for retaining premium numbers under the garb of contractual obligation.''

Top MNP loser RCom OK with loss; to focus on value, not nos

MUMBAI: If the numbers are anything to go by, the much-touted mobile number portability (MNP), that got kicked in from January 20, has not made much of a dent in the fortunes of most telecom companies, as only about 4 million out of 771 million users have dumped their operators in the first five months. 

While Vodafone , Bharti and Idea gained significantly during this customer-choice era, Reliance Communications (RCom) bore the brunt of the switch. But the Anil Ambani Group telco claims it is not keen on adding mere numbers, but adding high value customers. 

Vodafone beats other in MNP race

Vodafone has emerged as the clear winner in MNP race, according to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). The other major gainer is Bharti Airtel. Nine million subscribers had opted for mobile number portability (MNP) in the first three months of its launch on January 20, and the biggest gainers were Vodafone Essar followed by Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular. However, there were others who fell. Reliance Communications (GSM and CDMA), followed by state-owned BSNL lost the number of subscribers.

There were about nine million requests for MNP till April 28. If the trend continues, it would mean 4.5 per cent of the 800 million customers would have availed of MNP. The numbers are based on data provided by service providers to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). 

The data shows the incremental number of subscribers going in for MNP has stabilised after the initial euphoria. Between January 20 and February 28, about 3.8 million subscribers had requested for MNP (it includes subscribers in Haryana where the scheme was introduced first).

The number stabilised between March 1 and 31, when the incremental number opting for MNP was 2.6 million. Between April 1 and 28, the number remained the same.

Industry experts says MNP will not be a game changer. Even operators do not expect the churn rate to be lower than they average — 4-5 per cent per month.

Gujarat tops MNP requests: TRAI

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat ranks number one in the country in terms of requests made for mobile number portability (MNP), with 6.17 lakh subscribers opting for the facility from the state, says a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) report. 

As per data furnished by service providers, 64.23 lakh mobile phone users applied for MNP in the country by March 2011 end, out of which 9.61 per cent requests were made from Gujarat. 

The first phase of MNP was launched on November 25 last year while it was rolled out pan-India from January 20 this year. 

Mobile number portability, which allows subscribers to switch from one operator to another without changing the number, has become an important feature in telecom arena. 

The maximum number of requests for MNP were received from Gujarat (6.17 lakh) followed by Rajasthan (5.49 lakh) in the Western zone. Elsewhere, Karnataka reported 5.29 lakh subscribers going for MNP followed by Tamil Nadu with (4.74 lakh), a TRAI report said.