The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) has finally announced that ‘number portability’ would soon be introduced in India initially in the top four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. The much awaited service will be available from the fourth quarter of 2008.

What is Mobile Number Portability??

Mobile Number portability allows users to change their service provider without having the need to actually change their mobile number. So you may have got your mobile no from Vodafone but now you can shift to other service providers like Bharti with the same number.

It’s a welcome step by the DOT and I am sure there will be many users like me who will want to change their service provider. Off course I am sure network operators will not be to happy with this decision as by providing this service means inviting competition as earlier there was always a restriction as users would have to change their cell nos to subscribe to their service.

Reliance Communications chief Anil Ambani said, “This is a forward-looking initiative. It is pro-competition, pro-consumer and above all, pro-choice. For the first time, in the four metros GSM operators will face real competition”.

Infact according to this article this move has been done to favor a particular new entrant in the GSM segment… In Oher News – Reliance Communication to launch GSM services

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