The Hindu Business Line : TRAI recommends Rs 200 one-time fee for number portability

High cost

The COAI said that the scheme had become irrelevant as the customer already has several options because of competition among service providers.
Cellular operators said that the cost of implementing the scheme estimated at Rs 1,800 crore could instead be used for providing rural coverage.

New Delhi , March 8

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India today recommended that mobile operators should introduce number portability before April 2007 by taking a one-time fee of Rs 200 from subscribers.

Once introduced, mobile number portability (MNP) will allow customers to switch operator while retaining the same phone number.

"TRAI considers it an appropriate time to initiate the process for implementing MNP so as to increase customer convenience, quality of service and further enhance competition among service providers in the mobile sector. Mobile Number Portability implementation process should be initiated in our country. "A time frame of 12 months between the acceptance of recommendation by the Government and launch of this facility is recommended. It is recommended that this facility should be available to mobile subscribers tentatively by April 1, 2007," a press release said.

However, mobile operators are not in favour of introducing the scheme. The Cellular Operators Association of India said that the scheme had become irrelevant as the customer already has several options because of competition among service providers.

COAI is also planning to release the findings of a study by global analysts to highlight the ineffectiveness of number portability in developed nations. Cellular operators also said that the cost of implementing the scheme estimated at Rs 1,800 crore could instead be used for providing rural coverage.

The Department of Telecom will take a final decision on the same, the release said. In its recommendations, TRAI said it was appropriate to implement MNP in phased manner starting from the metros and A category service areas followed by B and C category service areas within an interval of six months. TRAI said that even if the entire cost is transferred to the customer, it works out to a one-time payment of around Rs 200, which will enable the operator to recover his investment cost in 3-5 years.

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