Mobile number portability to be rolled out Thursday

NEW DELHI - The much awaited mobile number portability (MNP), which allows subcribers to change their mobile operators while retaining their old number, will be inaugurated Thursday in Rohtak district of Haryana.

According to an earlier statement of the Department of Telecom, the scheme will gradually be extended to other circles as well.

MNP has been delayed several times in the past.

Initially, it was to be implemented by Dec 31, 2009, in all the metros, and in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The deadline later was changed to March 31, 2010, and then again to June 30.

It was shifted again when operators said they were not ready with the infrastructure needed to provide the service.

Customers will have to send an SMS to 1900. They will then get a unique porting code, which is to be filled in an application form of the new service provider.

The transfer of a mobile number to a new network will be done within four days.