The Government on Thursday said it will introduce mobile number portability across the country by March 31,2010,a three-month delay from the scheduled date of launchon Thursday. Mobile number portability (MNP),which allows a user to retain his/her number even after the switching the operator,was to be introduced in the metros and Category A telecom circles from today,and in other areas by March 20,2010. "The Government has now decided to implement it in whole of the country in one go,by March 31,2010," the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology said in a statement today. Explaining the rationale behind the delay,the statement said after a series of meetings with the service providers to assess their readiness for MNP implementation,it was found that while some have technically upgraded and augmented their networks and some have established physical links with MNP operators,others are still in the process.
