Now, retain your mobile number while shifting cities

New Delhi, July 3 

The full mobile number portability (MNP), which kicked off today, will “empower people”, increase competition among telecom operators and improve services, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Full MNP will enable subscribers to transfer their mobile numbers to any new city or locality across the country and use it as local number from today. So far, the facility was available only within a telecom circle or service area.

It will also allow subscribers to change their operators without changing their numbers.

All operators — Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Reliance Communications, Uninor, Videocon, MTS, Tata Docomo, state-run MTNL and BSNL — have announced the MNP rollout.

With this facility, a mobile subscriber will not have to pay roaming charges once the number gets transferred to another telecom circle or state under the scheme. It will be treated as local number of that area.

Roaming charges will apply, however, while travelling outside the new telecom circle or area.

Prasad said this service will empower people and enhance competition among mobile service providers pushing them to offer better service. —  PTI