Mobile number portability (MNP) proposal cleared by PMO

The much-awaited mobile number portability (MNP) proposal has been cleared by the Prime Minister's Office which paved the way for launching the service in the country.  State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Tarana Halim today said Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina and also in charge of Telecommunication Ministry in principal has given her consent for MNP service.

"Now, we are hopeful to introduce the MNP service by this year" she said in a Facebook post this night.  After completing all remaining procedures related to tender floating and other related issues by BTRC, it would take around one month to fully introduce the service.

MNP system enables mobile phone users to move from one network to another within the country's territory without any change to the original number.

On December last year, Finance Ministry okayed financial issues involving the MNP (mobile number portability) system. Based on financial division approval State Minister for Telecommunication Tarana Halim 

informed journalists that MNP service will be launched by December. Under the system, a conversion to a new operator will charge a fee of Tk 30 each time and cannot be altered within 40 days.

After bidding process, licence will be given to an independent company for 15 years to run the MNP system. The annual licence renewal fee will be TK 20 lakh while the company will have to share 5.5% revenue with the BTRC.

Any registered Bangladeshi company can participate in the bidding, but no mobile operators are eligible.

Industry insiders said "Once MNP service is introduced, competition will increase among the operators. Operators will then have to ensure quality of their service to hold existing or attract new subscribers."

On September 20, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave her consent on the draft guideline for MNP. The telecommunication division sent the file for approval of finance ministry in October. After that telecom Division revised the guideline which received final approval recently.

The MNP initiative has been taken to protect customers' right of choosing operator freely on the basis of satisfaction. The service will empower mobile users in changing their SIM number whenever they want, according to a telecom expert. 

The service is already available in around 70 countries across the world, including India and Pakistan.

Source: BSS.