Are you upset with your service provider? Angry he isn’t giving you what you need? On hold forever? Mobile number portability (MNP) that rolled out on Thursday is set to change all that now.
It will cost you Rs 19 to switch providers
So what exactly is MNP? It’s the freedom to change service providers without changing your phone number. The process will cost you only Rs 19 that will be deducted by the new service provider. In the case of pre-paid accounts, the balance will not be carried over and in the case of post-paid accounts, all dues need to be settled before the switch can be made
Here’s the process:
1) You first need to send an SMS to 1900 saying PORT (space) your current mobile number. You will then receive an eight-character code or your Unique Porting ID (UPID) that also comes with an expiry date
2) You need to take this code with all the necessary documents (address, ID proof, photograph, application form) to the office of the nearest new service provider you want to switch to
3) Your number will then travel to the ‘mobile portability clearing house’ where your old service provider’s account will be deactived and the new account gets activated
4) The new service provider will then send you an SMS mentioning the time when the phone will go through a no-service period, where you will not be able to make or receive calls. These no-service hours are supposed to be from 12 midnight to 5am to cause customers the least inconvenience possible
5) After this, you will be able to use your old number but with a new service provider. However, if you happen to hate the new services, tough luck. You will need to stick around with them for three months before you can switch again
Telecom companies have left no stone unturned to reach out to new as well as existing customers. A series of campaigns have been launched by Idea, Vodafone and Airtel, among others to deal with the probable gain and loss to business
Porting a number will take a maximum of seven working days and fifteen days in Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and other North East states. MNP was first launched in Haryana in November 2010 and over 80,000 people have so far applied for a new operator.
