Now no more hassles with your mobile connection when moving to a new city, as Indian telecom operators has started rolling out pan-India full mobile number portability (MNP). From 3rd July, 2015 National Mobile Number Portability will become a reality, enabling mobile subscribers across the country to retain their mobile numbers while relocations to different cities, state or telecom circles. Full MNP can be availed by both prepaid and postpaid customers, so no one is left out.
Pan India full mobile number portability was in accordance with the provisions contained in the National Telecom Policy 2012 – “One Nation – Full Mobile Number Portability”. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) earlier asked Indian telecom operators to implement full MNP across the country by 3rd May 2015 which was then extended to another two months (to today July 3, 2015), as telecom operators have to make some technical changes in their networks.
Acting first, India’s biggest telecom operator Bharti Airtel has already rolled out full MNP across the country among its vast subscribers. Following the suite, Vodafone India, Idea Cellular, Reliance Communications, Tata Docomo, MTS India and other telecom operators have implemented full MNP across the country. With this customers can retain their mobile number while shifting from one telecom circle to another anywhere across India. To gain from their investment, telecom companies are going out to the public to create awareness on availability of full number portability on their network. Govt operated BSNL and MTNL has already implemented full mobile number portability across the country.
How to switch to a new operator without changing your existing number
- First generate the 8 digit UPC code by sending a SMS ‘Port ’ to 1900 (toll free)
- Visit any of the telecom operators office you plan to move to
- Fill the Subscriber Enrollment Form and submit your photo ID proof along with address proof
- Choose from Prepaid or Postpaid connection along with the tariff plans if any,
- Collect your new SIM from the store
- Now wait for maximum 7 days for the operator to review and approve your MNP request (You will receive an SMS confirming the approximate time when your old SIM will stop working.)
- Once approved, your old SIM will get deactivated and then you can change to the new SIM
- Within 2 hours your new SIM will be activated and can enjoy new telecom network with the same number in your new city.
With full Mobile number portability going live, subscribers can now strip out the extra ‘0‘ or the famous Indian country code ‘+91‘ from phone numbers in their contact list, as they can now dial on to mobile numbers within the same circle as well as inter circle without adding 0 or +91 prefix.