India is all set to usher in the mobile number portability services, offering a facility to the customers to change their service provider while retaining the same number. It is likely to be put in place by January 2010 as the telecom regulator has directed operators to make adequate technical arrangements for the same.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to fix Rs. 19 as MNP request processing charges; the customers are required to pay the intended operator from December 31, 2009 onwards.

However, the operators would be free to charge less than Rs 19 but cannot charge more than this ceiling fee. Operators are also free to charge no fee for porting which seems possible in the highly competitive telecom environment.

The regulator said, “The facility of retention of existing mobile telephone number despite moving to a new telecom service provider helps in increasing competition between the service providers and acts as a catalyst for the service providers to improve their quality of service.”

MNP would also allow customers to change from GSM technology to CDMA one and vice-versa while retaining the original number. The development, according to market experts, would prove boon for new operators to attract subscribers from the incumbent players.