Mobile Number Portability
What is Mobile Number Portability (MNP) ?
The ability for a subscriber to maintain the same –phone number when switching service providers.The subscriber can move or “port” the phone number between service providers of the same nature (and in some cases between fixed and mobile operators).
Implementation Of MNP
The process of number porting consists of following steps:
- A customer sends number porting (NP) request to CNPMS .
- CNPMS starts negotiation by sending NP request to Donor operator.
- Donor operator accepts or rejects the NP request by checking his dues like payment of bills etc.
- After getting confirmation in step 3, CNPMS negotiates with recipient operator to get confirmation.
CNPMS intimates the customer about the total time to be taken for NP.
- Donor operator disconnects the service of the subscriber.
- Recipient operator activates the service of the subscriber.
- CNPMS sends service connects notice to all operators for updating their NP database(NPDB). Now customer can change his old SIM(or phone) with new SIM(or phone).
Subscription Termination Process consists of following steps:
- A Ported subscriber terminates his service from subscription network. Subscription network disconnects the number and retains the number for N days then returns the number to CNPMS.
- CNPMS then returns the number to Number holder Network.
- CNPMS sends the service disconnect Notice to all operators for updating their NP database(NPDB).
MNP Call Flow
Every operator will be maintaining a database(NPDB) of ported numbers. Hence, every time a customer makes a call or sends SMS, the operator has to query its database to check whether the B number(to which the call or SMS is being sent) has been ported or not. If the B number is in NPDB then that query returns the number and Local Routing Number(LRN).LRN is a unique number for every operator per circle, assigned by Dot. For example, Airtel customer makes a call to Idea customer(who has been ported to Vodafone), in this case the query will return the LRN of Vodafone so that the Airtel can route this call to Vodafone.If the B number is not in NPDB then it returns an illegal value.
Number Porting Process
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*Donor operator is from which subscriber wants to move away. Recipient operator is new operator where customer wants to go.
The process of number porting consists of following steps:
1. A customer sends number porting (NP) request to CNPMS .
2. CNPMS starts negotiation by sending NP request to Donor operator.
3. Donor operator accepts or rejects the NP request by checking his dues like payment of bills etc.
4. After getting confirmation in step 3, CNPMS negotiates with recipient operator to get confirmation. CNPMS intimates the customer about the total time to be taken for NP.
5. Donor operator disconnects the service of the subscriber.
6. Recipient operator activates the service of the subscriber.
7. CNPMS sends service connects notice to all operators for updating their NP database(NPDB). Now customer can change his old SIM(or phone) with new SIM(or phone).
Subscription Termination Process
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Subscription Termination Process consists of following steps:
1. A Ported subscriber terminates his service from subscription network. Subscription network disconnects the number and retains the number for N days then returns the number to CNPMS.
2. CNPMS then returns the number to Number holder Network.
3. CNPMS sends the service disconnect Notice to all operators for updating their NP database(NPDB).
Call and Message routing Process
Every operator will be maintaining a database(NPDB) of ported numbers. Hence, every time a customer makes a call or sends SMS, the operator has to query its database to check whether the B number(to which the call or SMS is being sent) has been ported or not. If the B number is in NPDB then that query returns the number and Local Routing Number(LRN).LRN is a unique number for every operator per circle, assigned by Dot. For example, Airtel customer makes a call to Idea customer(who has been ported to Vodafone), in this case the query will return the LRN of Vodafone so that the Airtel can route this call to Vodafone.If the B number is not in NPDB then it returns an illegal value.
Disadvantages of MNP:
1. Any balance(talk time) you have before porting will lapse.
2. You have to change the SIM at some extra cost.
3. Wait time is on a higher side around 2-5 days.
