Mobile Number Portability – now in India!
The telecom minister Kapil Sibal, must be a very relieved soul as Mobile Number Portability (MNP) has finally been rolled out today. Sibal says, �I think it�s a great step forward for the consumer, as it enhances choice and brings in more competition, because the more efficient you are as a service provider, the more likely that consumers will choose you�, and we quote �Well done, Sibal!�
A friend of mine had been dragging his number around for nearly 9 years now, in the only hope that �she� calls him. I dare say there was a remote chance of �her� calling him with the poor network strength, signal drop and other connection hassles, but none of us were amused everytime we risked to call him; He flatly refused to change his number. He and me are most grateful now after waiting for years for MNP to kick in. Telecom operators with poor quality will now face the music.
So if you are a �sticky� guy like him, you can get rid of your bad service provider now and plug in to a better one, even while you retain your mobile number. The service provider has to complete your porting within a week after setting you back by Rs.19 as porting charge. In case, your new provider is as lousy as the older one, you can port again after 90 days. And in case you are a prepaid subscriber, do use up your balance as it will not be carried forward to the new service provider. So happy porting till you find a good one!
India has nearly 700 million mobile phone users and a pretty number of them have multiple SIMs/ number. With 13 telecom operators currently playing in the Indian field, signal strength, signal quality, better connectivity, more flexible plans, lesser tariffs, accurate billing and most importantly �customer service� will go on to define which telecom operator is the best as most of the 700 million would be in it�s kitty!
Toll free numbers have been set up by all the major players and each one is vying to get numbers. We found this ad appealing, but what impact would an ad have compared to the word-of-mouth domino effect?
It remains to be seen how telecom operators strive to retain their subscribers. Nevertheless, this has probably been the best change in India�s telecommunication scene and with 3G coming up, we quote Sibal �It is a historic moment, we have demonstrated that the customer is king.� If you are a service provider, better buck up and if you are a user, relax and take your pick every 3 months!
It remains to be seen how telecom operators strive to retain their subscribers. Nevertheless, this has probably been the best change in India�s telecommunication scene and with 3G coming up, we quote Sibal �It is a historic moment, we have demonstrated that the customer is king.� If you are a service provider, better buck up and if you are a user, relax and take your pick every 3 months!
Do let us know your thoughts on the impact of mobile number portability (MNP) on your communication woes.