Top 7 Reasons Why Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in India maybe a Headache!

As every citizen in India know, trying to get anything done, whether applying for a birth certificate, a ration card, a bank account, etc is an excruciatingly s-l-o-w process, not to mention standing in long queues for hours/days/weeks/months and/or giving a bribe!

Now we have Mobilenumber portability (MNP) in India, which is going to be yet another long-haul procedure.

Here’s why Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in India is not as exciting as it sounds….

1. The procedure for applying for Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in India will itself take a number of days.
Click here to know How to Register for Mobile number portability (MNP) in India

2. The mobile portability of your cell phone number in India will be limited to a specific license service area / telecom circle within a specific zone.  Mobile Number Portability between other circles (called Inter circle portability) is as yet not allowed. This means that if you switch from Airtel to Idea in Mumbai and then get a job transfer to Chennai, you cannot then use the mobile portability process for switching to a telecom service provider in Chennai. That is, you will not have the benefit of keeping the same mobile number when switching to another service provider in Chennai.

3. After sending a mobile phone porting request, you may change your mind and not wish to switch over to a new service provider. You can then cancel your request within 24 hours only by informing the new service provider (in the example above it is Idea). However, the charges you paid for cell phone porting will not be refunded to you.

4. In the event that you have not paid your outstanding dues, despite an undertaking to do so before you switch to a new provider, your mobile number is liable to be disconnected by the new service provider.

5. You can make a porting request only after 90 days (3 months) of the date of activation of your mobile connection.

6. If you again wish to change your telecom provider (let’s say from Idea back to Airtel or to another service provider), then you can do so only after 90 days from the date of the previous porting process. 

7. The completion of the entire mobile number portability porting process in licensed service areas of the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and North East States is likely to take longer (maximum permissible is 12 days) as compared to other States (maximum 4 days).

Unless you genuinely feel that you will get better and/or cheap cell phone services from the new telecom service provider, you should not needlessly switch over. Sometimes, old is gold!