Keep number, change service provider

The Ministry of Communications and IT is planning to introduce fixed number portability.

The Ministry of Communications and IT is planning to introduce fixed number portability. This will allow a subscriber to retain his/her number even while switching to a new service provider.

The department of telecommunications (DoT) is already in the process of implementing mobile number portability in the four metros, which will be available in the four cities by the end of this month. In the absence of number portability, a large number of subscribers stick to their operators even if they are not satisfied with the services because of the hassles involved in changing the number.

“Fixed number portability will be of great help to consumers as it will increase quality of services and bring down prices,” said A Raja, minister for communications and IT. Sources said that the DoT will soon start working on the fixed number portability.

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DoT officials are waiting for the ongoing spectrum controversy to be over and licences to be issued to new players.

DoT has already awarded licences for national-wide GSM mobile services to five new players — Reliance, Tata, Datacom, Shyam Sistema, and Unitech. Idea has also been issued licence to operate GSM mobile services 12 new circles.

Therefore, with five new GSM players and number portability — both mobile and fixed — the consumer is set to gain. subscribers will have more choice in terms of service providers as well as can migrate fixed line services to other operators who provide better services.

Presently, government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) have close to 90 per cent marketshare.

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In the past, the two companies had opposed fixed number portability. Their argument: private players have not made enough investments in their networks.

Moreover, private players are not present in rural areas and small towns. Even in large cities, they are present only in the profit making areas. They also argued that in the mobile segment, number portability was implemented only when there were enough players (six in some places) in the market and there was enough competition.

According to a telecom regulatory authority of india (TRAI) report, India has a fixedline subscriber base of 3.92 crore out of which BSNL accounted for 3.18 crore subscribers.

MTNL had a subscriber base of 36 lakh. Other fixedline service providers are — Bharti Airtel (21.3 lakh subscribers), Reliance Communications (7.2 lakh), Tata (6.4 lakh), HFCL (1.6 lakh) and Shyam (1.6 lakh).

Telecom trings

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•Number portability to profit the consumers, be GSM or fixed numbers

•DoT shall start work on Fixed Number Portability

•Telecom department awaits the end of the Spectrum controversy to issue fresh players’ licences

• Entry of new players to open up the fixed lines market

•Arguments against profit motives of private players in debate