Govt unveils number portability, 3G norms

In a major consumer friendly move, Telecom Minister A. Raja announced that the Government will introduce mobile number portability in the four metros in a phased manner. This will provide customers the facility to retain the same number while switching over from one operator to another within the same service area. This facility is likely to be available to the mobile subscribers by the fourth quarter of 2008. Introduction of MNP in A circle will be reviewed in April 2008 and TRAI will issue relevant regulations in this regard.

Reliance Communications Chairman Anil Ambani and AUSPI, the lobby group for CDMA operators, welcomed the move. On the other hand, COAI, which represents GSM mobile players, accused the Government of favouring a particular CDMA company by announcing the launch of number portability. Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal said margins would not be hit by the introduction of number portability. Mittal also said that he favoured extending the facility nationwide.

The Government also announced the guidelines for 3G services and Broadband Wireless Access service. It also said that all radio frequencies offering 3G services would be offered via an auction.

Separately, some members of the COAI said they were willing to go for an open auction of 2G spectrum beyond 10 MHz. Till today, COAI had vehemently opposed auction for 2G spectrum. But, the Telecom Minister ruled out the possibility of selling or auctioning 2G spectrum. He reiterated that the allotment of new telecom licenses will be done on first-come-first-serve basis.

In a related development, GSM operators also said that since RCOM’s request for launching services using dual technology was approved on October 18, its applications for GSM spectrum should be processed only after the ones that came before October 1. The DoT had received 575 applications from about 45 companies before October 1.