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Steps for National Mobile Number Portability (NMNP)

Posted Date: 04 Jul 2015 |Updated: 04-Jul-2015 |Category: Internet & Telephone Service |Author: |Member Level: Gold |Points: 65 |


Learn how to enjoy national mobile number portability and retain your mobile number no matter which service provider you subscribe to. Change circles and switch service providers with ease and keep your old number no matter where you move in India.

National Mobile Number Portability (MNP) went live on Friday, and telecom companies across India are now offering you greater convenience in mobile telephony. Operators like Vodafone, Airtel, Idea Cellular, RCom, Uninor and state-owned players like BSNL and MTNL are all participating in this process. This means that if you are switching jobs or moving to a new city in the country, you get to keep your existing mobile number. India already allowed mobile number portability in 2011, but it was limited to the same circle.

What is National MNP?

With MNP in place, it means that you can now move from one city to another without having to change your mobile number. You can switch your mobile operators and telecom circles easily, while retaining your old number - no matter your current mobile operator - if you move from, say Mumbai to Delhi. The original deadline for the rollover was May 3 but July 3 is when it finally kicked off.

Of course, you have to apply for full MNP, which is the same process as applying for intra-city portability of mobile numbers. Some operators are offering customers even greater convenience, by allowing them to transfer any prepaid balance between two circles, if they stay with the same operator and don't transfer to another.

Airtel and other operators are also giving you free incoming options on national roaming. This comes into effect from the time that you raise an MNP request, through the time that it takes to be processed. Again, this is only possible if you keep to the Airtel network.

How to enjoy National Mobile Number Portability

In order to apply for mobile number portability, you will need to visit the website (or store) of your telecom provider. If you are keeping your old mobile service provider and only switching circles, call your provider for steps to make the switch.

The general steps for application to switch providers are as follows :
  • Prepare your documents - passport sized photographs, address proof, and a photo ID such as your passport. You can check out your telecom provider's website for the documents that are acceptable as address proof and photo ID.
  • To get a SIM card for the new provider, you will need to visit the store of the telecom service provider of your choice. Irrespective of the provider you are switching to, you will need to generate an 8-digit UPC (Unique Porting Code) that your existing provider will give you to let you switch to another provider. The SMS must be sent to 1900 in the following format:
    PORT<10-digit mobile number>
  • After you have sent the SMS, you will receive your UPC via SMS from 1901. This will be an 8-digit alpha-numeric code (in the form of two alphabets followed by six numerical digits except 0) along with an expiry date in the MM/DD/YYYY format.
  • Visit the nearest store of the telecom provider you are looking to switch to. Fill in a CAF (customer agreement form) and submit this along with your documents and self-attested passport sized photograph. For postpaid subscribers, a copy of the last paid bill will also need to be submitted along with a Porting Form. Depending on your last provider's rules, your prepaid balance will either lapse or be carried over. A small porting charge may need to be paid.
  • You will now receive a new SIM card and after a short no service period (of about 2 hours, likely to be scheduled between 22:00 hrs and 05:00 hours) you can insert your SIM card and begin to use it.

There is just one catch, you cannot use NMNP to your convenience as and when you choose. Once you initiate it and the transfer is processed you will need to wait for 3 months before trying it again.


Article by Juana
Juana is a freelance writer publishing with Constant Content and sister sites of Techulator. She writes on a variety of subjects that interest her. She is a voracious reader and that helps her keep abreast with the latest in technology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Eng. Lit, is a mom, a wife, a homemaker and a qualified teacher.

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Comments

Author: Timmappa Kamat06 Jul 2015 Member Level: Gold   Points : 2

We have already got used to the same circle MNP. Most of us have benefitted from this facility and have switched operators quite often. But as far as National MNP is concerned, I have a query to make. We know that we need to get a new SIM if we port into another operator (which we have been doing till now with the intracircle MNP). But while opting for national MNP but with no change in service provider, do we need to get a new SIM?

Guest Author: Vivekanandhan19 Aug 2015

Regarding national MNP, is there any rule that porting request should be sent from the State where the number was originally obtained? Tata Docomo of Orissa had rejected my request since I sent SMS from Tamilnadu. Please clarify.



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