MNP likely to see more takers following SC ruling
February 2nd, 2012 - 6:54 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Feb 2 (IANS) A mass switchover by mobile users is likely in the telecom sector as customers would now plan to port in to different networks following the Supreme Court’s order cancelling 122 licences of operators such as Idea Cellular, Uninor, Tata Teleservices, Loop Telecom and Videocon.
The mobile number portability (MNP) service, which had a pan-India launch in January last year, has so far witnessed 29.24 million porting requests from across the country having over 890 million wireless users.
Noted telecom analyst and director of consultancy firm Com First India Mahesh Uppal said MNP will definitely be used as an option by those users who attach huge importance to their numbers.
“Though in India people are not very committed to MNP as in West, it will still be used as an option by those for whom retaining their numbers is very important. MNP would certainly act as a useful aid,” Uppal told IANS.
Although the telecom regulator said the move by subscribers is expected to affect barely 5 percent of the total subscriber base, a concerned user would like to go in for another player taking advantage of the MNP service.
“The move is likely to affect less than 5 percent of users as the current operators other than the ones whose licences have been cancelled control almost the rest of the market,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman J.S. Sarma told IANS.
“Customers can always go to the operators of their choice (through MNP),” he added.
Vikramjeet Singh, a 22-year-old user of one of the affected firms, said: “This is shocking news but I am glad that through MNP my mobile services would continue but there is a lot of confusion right now and I hope to get some clarity on this issue.”
“As a consumer I am perplexed as to why should a consumer suffer for the faults of telecom operators but I think I have no better option than MNP. I have to retain my number as it is circlulated among all my friends and relatives,” 26-year old Shambhavi Shukla, working at a private firm, told IANS.
- 29.24 mn subscribers opt for mobile number portability - Jan 30, 2012
- Telecom market dominated by older players, users wont get affected: TRAI - Feb 02, 2012
- Mobile number portability not much of a hit - Dec 04, 2011
- 32.79 mn subscribers opt for mobile number portability - Mar 06, 2012
- Customers won't be troubled by cancellation of 2G licences - Feb 02, 2012
- STel, Etisalat told to restore services till licence expires - Apr 11, 2012
- 25.84 mn subscribers opt for mobile number portability - Jan 09, 2012
- Networks hope to acquire more users, spectrum - Feb 03, 2012
- Over 180.59 lakh opt for mobile number portability - Oct 20, 2011
- Over 41 mn mobile users want to change operators - May 03, 2012
- Idea Cellular biggest gainer of mobile number portability - May 06, 2012
- Over 85 lakh go for new mobile number - Jun 14, 2011
- Over 64 lakh users opt for mobile number portability - Apr 29, 2011
- Over 155 lakh customers opt for mobile number portability - Sep 09, 2011
- Less than 5 percent users to be affected: TRAI - Feb 02, 2012
Tags: idea cellular, launch, loop telecom, mahesh, number portability, relati, sarma, shocking news, subscriber base, switchover, tata teleservices, telecom analyst, telecom operators, telecom regulator, telecom regulatory authority, telecom regulatory authority of india, telecom sector, uppal, videocon, wireless users