Nationwide Number Portability Likely to be Implemented by March 2015: Telecom Minister

New Delhi: The government expects to implement nationwide mobile number portability (MNP) by March 31, 2015, which will allow subscribers to shift their mobile service on to the network of any telecom operator throughout the country without having to change their cellphone number.

"The national MNP is likely expected to be implemented by March 31, 2015," Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has sought telecom regulator TRAI's view on additional entry fee, performance bank guarantee and financial bank guarantee to be charged from existing MNP service providers.

The telecom regulator asked DoT not to make any changes in entry fee and bank guarantee of companies involved in managing MNP service due to various reasons.

At present, two companies - Syniverse Technologies and MNP Interconnection Telecom Solution - operate to provide MNP service under which mobile subscribers can change their telecom operators while retaining their number. TRAI said that these companies have still around 5 years before their license validity expires.

TRAI has submitted its reply to DoT on July 21 which will be placed before inter-ministerial panel Telecom Commission for its consideration.

The regulator in its recommendation has said that telecom operators and MNP service providers should be given six months to make necessary technical changes in their network to start nationwide MNP.