How To Use Mobile Number Portability (MNP) In India

Mobile Number Portability has already been launched all over India.Now the customers have more freedom and operators have more competition.For those who are unaware about MNP let me give them a brief introduction.

Mobile Number portability allows the customers to change their operator without changing there mobile number.This feature was first rolled in haryana and now it has been rolled all over India.

In this post I will try to answer all the queries of users about Mobile Number Portability.The issues that I am addressing in this post are:-

How To Change Mobile Operator?
How Long will it take to Switch to new Service Provider?
What are the charges of MNP?
Is MNP also available for Postpaid customers?
Can I migrate from Postpaid to prepaid using MNP?
Can I migrate from CDMA to GSM using MNP?
How Frequently I can change my operator?
How To Change Mobile Operator?

To porting your mobile number to another operator you need a Unique Porting Code (UPC).So here is the complete steps of switching your operator
Send a sms to 1900 in the following format
PORT
Eg:- PORT 94XXXXXXXX

Now you will receive your UPC from 1901.It will be a 8 digit alphanumeric code along with the expiry date.It automatically gets expired after 24 hours.
Now visit the new operator shop and fill a mobile number portability form there.
You will need to fill the following information
Your Mobile number
Your current operator
The UPC code that You received
You have to submit your Address and ID proof’s.Your photograph and post paid bill (if you have a postpaid connection)
Now purchase the new sim card from the new operator.
Follow their instructions
The maximum charge for this service is Rs 19

How Long will it take to Switch to new Service Provider?
It can switch between 24 hours to 4 days.Don’t worry your old connection will work until you are ported to new number.
 The maximum time during which your number will not function is 2 hours and during night (10 am-5 pm).So it won’t affect you much.

What are the charges of MNP?
The maximum amount that can be charged is Rs 19
.
Is MNP also available for Postpaid customers?
Yes, MNP is also available for postpaid customers.But you have to clear all your pending bills to use MNP.

Can I migrate from Postpaid to prepaid using MNP?
Yes,you can migrate from postpaid to prepaid connections using mobile number portability.

Can I migrate from CDMA to GSM using MNP?
You can Migrate from CDMA to GSM connection.But it will make your CDMA phone useless so choose wisely.

How Frequently I can change my operators?
For using Mobile Number Portability (MNP) your connection needs to be atleast 3 months old.So after 3 moths you can change your operator.

Break-up with your mobile service provider

I am talking about putting Mobile Number Portability to use.




It’s been almost a month since mobile number portability (MNP) was launched in India. MNP allows subscribers to change their mobile service provider without the fear of losing their old mobile number. So you can switch from Airtel to Vodafone or Tata Docomo to Aircel, and still keep the same number.



The MNP launch, which was deferred four times due to reasons ranging from operators not being ready with their networks to security concerns, promises to open a new chapter for India's burgeoning mobile population.



Here is how MNP works:

1. Send an SMS to 1900 in following format: PORT

2. You will get an SMS reply that contains a unique porting code.

3. SMS the unique code to your preferred operator. This code is valid only for a few days, and one must apply again if it expires.

4. Your existing operator will check with new operator & if there are no dues then approval will be given for porting.

5. You will receive an SMS prompt on the day of porting.

6. Porting is complete when you receive an SMS from your new operator confirming the switch.



Other things you should know about MNP:

- Your phone may be dead for about 2 hours when the porting takes place.

- You will lose balance on prepaid cards.

- If you move from CDMA-to-GSM or vice-versa, you will also have to change your handset.

- Both post-paid and prepaid subscribers can switch carriers..

- Time taken to complete porting is 7 working days - 15 working days in J&K, North-east.

- The process will cost Rs 19. This will be collected by new service provider.

- Subscribers cannot switch across circles. In other words, you cannot take your Delhi number to an operator in Mumbai. You can only change operators within Delhi.

- You must be with a provider for at least three months before switching.



So now that you have all the ‘gyan’ about MNP do you think you are going to dump your carrier?



We do hope that operators bump up their service levels in the near future to keep their customers happy and keep them from switching. That would benefit everyone!

Mobile Number Portability Service

Mobile Number Portability service as per service provider.

IDEA -                      18002700000
AIRTEL -                  18001031111
BSNL -                     18001801503
TATA DOCOMO -  18002660000
VODAFONE -         18001234567

Haryana rings in first with mobile number portability

If you’re dissatisfied with poor service from your current telecom service provider, you don’t need to bear with it anymore. Just dump it and go for another one. And no, you won’t have to change your number every time you switch providers.

Number portability is here, finally.

After a two year delay, Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will be launched in Rohtak, Haryana today. Telecom Ministry officials say that this system is likely to be launched in other parts of the country by the end of December provided the operators are ready with their network.

Market analysts believe that this would lead to another tariff war as telecom operators would like to retain their existing customers.

Aditya Birla Group’s Idea Cellular Network is confident of attracting users once MNP is rolled out.

“Our focus is to provide good network and customer services. Though we are not launching any new plan or tariff package, we are confident that large number of customers who want to have better network would switch to Idea,” the firm’s chief corporate affairs officer Rajat Mukarji told.

So how does MNP work? Well, all you need to do is send an SMS from your phone to 1900. Your present company will reply with a unique porting code. Use that code while filling out a detailed form for the provider you want to shift to. Within 48 hours, that company will take over all your cell services. This may cost you a meagre Rs 19.

Your cell number will be switched off for only one hour. All bills after that are payable to your new provider. Once a subscriber ports his number to the new operator, then, he will have to wait for at least 90 days before he can change his operator again. While you can shift from a GSM service to CDMA or vice versa, you cannot shift from one state to another.

Block lost or stolen mobile using IMEI

International Mobile Equipment Identity i.e IMEI number popular known as Mobile phone’s serial number is a 15 digit code that will appear on the mobile screen when you press * # 0 6 # Copy the number down and keep it for future reference.
This number is unique to your handset and helps you disabling and blocking yours stolen or lost phone in future . Motoralla Users can also try press #,* to retrive IMEI Number of your Phones

How To Use IMEI Number to Block Phones
If your mobile phone is lost or stolen you can inform your network provider with yours IMEI number who can then put the serial number on a shared database. This list stops this particular phone from registering on any network and will be useless for anyone even if the mobile phone’s SIM card is changed!
Get Mobile Information Using IMEI Number

You can also get all yours mobile phone information using yours Mobile IMEI number all you need is to try

IMEI Number Analysis

Free SMS India

Use the table below, find out mobile email of our friend.
State / City - India
Cellular Operator
Series
Mobile Email SMS

Andhra Pradesh
AirTel
9849
919849xxxxxx@airtelap.com

Andhra Pradesh
Idea Cellular
9848
9848xxxxxx@ideacellular.net

Chennai
Skycell / Airtel
9840
919840xxxx@airtelchennai.com

Chennai
RPG Cellular
9841
9841xxxxxx@rpgmail.net

Delhi
Airtel
9810
919810xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Delhi
Hutch
9811
9811xxxxxx@delhi.hutch.co.in

Gujarat
Idea Cellular
9824
9824xxxxxx@ideacellular.net

Gujarat
Airtel
9898
919898xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Gujarat
Celforce / Fascel
9825
9825xxxxxx@celforce.com

Goa
Airtel
9890
919890xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Goa
BPL Mobile
9823
9823xxxxxx@bplmobile.com

Goa
Idea Cellular
9822
9822xxxxxx@ideacellular.net

Haryana
Airtel
9896
919896xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Haryana
Escotel
9812
9812xxxx@escotelmobile.com

Himachal Pradesh
Airtel
9816
919816xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Karnataka
Airtel
9845
919845xxxxxx@airtelkk.com

Kerala
Airtel
9895
919895xxxxx@airtelkerala.com

Kerala
Escotel
9847
9847xxxxx@escotelmobile.com

Kerala
BPL Mobile
9846
9846xxxxxx@bplmobile.com

Kolkata
Airtel
9831
919831xxxxxx@airtelkol.com

Madhya Pradesh
Airtel
9893
919893xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Maharashtra
Airtel
9890
919890xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Maharashtra
BPL Mobile
9823
9823xxxxxx@bplmobile.com

Maharashtra
Idea Cellular
9822
9822xxxxxx@ideacellular.net

Mumbai
Airtel
9892
919892xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Mumbai
BPL Mobile
9821
9821xxxxxx@bplmobile.com

Punjab
Airtel
9815
919815xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Pondicherry
BPL Mobile
9843
9843xxxxxx@bplmobile.com

Tamil Nadu
Airtel
9894
919894xxxxxx@airtelmail.com

Tamil Nadu
BPL Mobile
9843
919843xxxxx@bplmobile.com

Tamil Nadu
Aircel
9842
9842xxxxxx@airsms.com

Uttar Pradesh (West)
Escotel
9837
9837xxxx@escotelmobile.com

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Benefits of Registering
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5. To top it, registered users will have first preference to all the new launches that will happen on MyToday in the future. And believe us - there's lots coming your way in the next few months.

Get Vodafone operator logo for free

Vodafone took over Hutch about 6 months back. Started re-branding a week ago. But still operator logo has not changed, It is showing “Hutch” which many of us don’t want to see. To get free Vodafone logo on your mobile sms “VODAFONE” to toll free number 56565. You will receive Vodafone logo, just save that.

CDMA Prepaid

Due to heavy competition from GSM counterparts, CDMA operators like Reliance and Tata Indicom launched prepaid services for their users.The concept of prepaid service of CDMA operators is not very different from GSM operators. Both provide rechargeable coupons.

If a GSM prepaid user fails to recharge within validity period, he can continue to receive messages and calls within grace period. And even beyond Grace period,he/she can simply buy a new SIM card for 99 bucks and pop it into his/her existing phone.

However the case with CDMA operators is different. If the prepaid coupon is not recharged within the grace period the connection is deactivated and the phone is rendered useless. To get connected again, you need to pay the cost of recharge plus the cost of new handset. The existing handset becomes useless!In fact, the Terms and Conditions section of Customer Application, of Reliance says, "Once cancelled, Prepaid service cannot be reactivated."

In other words, if someone's Reliance prepaid connection is deactivated, then he has to repay the minimum amount of Rs.2999 for both the connection and the handset. Similarly if somebody is a Tata Indicom mobile user he needs to repay Rs.4000, which includes a handset and two rechargeable coupons.

It is quite understood that CDMA mobile handsets cannot be used like GSM handsets with variable service providers due to technical reasons. But it still remains unclear, why users cannot reuse their handsets with the same service provider once his initial connection is cancelled. Is this because of technical problems or sort of business strategy?

BPL Mobiles Invest 1000 Cr

BPL Mobiles India plans to invest Rs.1000 crore to develop infrastructure in the next 1 year with a special focus on the Maharashtra circle.It will introduce multi-player gaming soon.

Krishna Angara, executive vice president, BPL Mobile said: "The company intends to raise Rs.1,000 crore for infrastructure development through a combination of internal accruals and vendor financing."

Angara said that the company has taken initiatives with a special focus on Maharashtra circle. BPL is now in the third position with Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) and Idea Cellular leading the pack.

BPL Mobile is working on a three-pronged strategy under its 'operation claw back.' The strategy includes investing in enhancing network coverage, bringing in cutting edge technology and delivering value to consumer through products and services. The company has decided to install 550 base stations across its circles.

Angara claimed that the company has completed the first phase which included network coverage, brand visibility and unique product promotions.

"We are into the second phase of investment which will enhance the network coverage and technology. We expect to have at least 4 million customers same time next year".

BPL Mobile has a total subscriber base of 2.01 million of which Mumbai alone contributes over 1 million. Angara claimed that the blended (post-paid and pre-paid) average revenue per user for the company was Rs 750 per month.

BPL Mobile has also registered an impressive 90 per cent growth in the last seven months across its circles. "We have achieved impressive revenue growth and consistently have achieved quarter-on-quarter revenue growth", Angara added.

Wi-Fi to Cut Call Costs

Motorola plans to introduce a device that switches seamlessly between cellular networks and Wi-Fi networks whenever possible. This technique allows phone calls to be made for a small fraction of the calling cost of traditional calls, or even free.

Wi-Fi phones employ a technology known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), which translates conversations into packets of data that are sent over the Internet, instead of the conventional, circuit-switched phone system, for part of their journey.

The technology reduces the traditional notion of "long distance" — just as there's no extra charge to send e-mails around the world.

Reliance to shift to 10-digit numbers

Reliance India Mobile will be converting the mobile numbers of its Mumbai subscribers from the existing 8-digit to a 10-digit system around the end of October. The conversion of numbers of all the subscribers across the country to the 10-digit numbering plan will be completed by mid-November.

The company is converting the existing 8-digit numbers to the mobile standard of a 10-digit numbering system, beginning with 9, in a phased manner across the various circles.

So far, the new numbering system has been implemented across five circles, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

The company is starting the number change process in Tamil Nadu and Chennai from tomorrow. It takes 3-4 days on an average to change the number of all the subscribers in any circle. “We have a subscriber base of 80 lakh across the country.

People will no longer be charged a higher interconnect charge for calls to Reliance mobile phones.

Until now, some cellular operators like Hutch were levying a higher charge of 50 paise per minute for calls made from mobile phones to Reliance phones since their numbering system did not recognise the `non-9’ numbers as mobile phones.

For consumers, the advantage is that people calling them do not have to dial the prefix the city code anymore.

Also, for calls within the circle, say between Nagpur to Pune, an STD facility was required earlier although these calls were charged at the same rate as local calls. Now, customers can call directly without the STD facility.

The change to a new numbering system has been long delayed over the issue of change in points of interconnection (PoIs).

As a mobile operator, Reliance Info has to now have a connectivity at the LDCA (long distance charging area) level as compared to the SDCA (short distance charging area) level connectivity enjoyed by fixed-line operators.

After the conversion, Reliance numbers will start with `93’ instead of the `3’ that they start with now.

This will be followed by a 3-digit MSC code that varies from circle to circle. The last 5 digits, in most cases, will be the same as the last 5 digits of the existing number.

Post-paid subscribers are being given a choice to choose a new number if they so wish. Those with premium numbers would have a choice in choosing the new premium numbers.

Reliance Info will be using several mediums to convey the new numbers to their subscribers such as SMS, letters, R-World outlets, besides others.

Also, for a period of one month, both the old and the new numbers will remain active.

Cellphone Users Face Risk

People who have used cellphones for at least 10 years may have an increased risk of developing a rare brain tumor, according to a study published in the international journal Epidemiology. Researchers at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, found almost a fourfold increase of the tumors — known as acoustic neuromas — on the side of the head where the phone was held most often.

The work was done as part of the World Health Organization's cellphone research agenda, and experts in the field said it must be taken seriously and is likely to rekindle consumer worries about the risks of using the phones.

"The Karolinska researchers are respected around the world, and this study will force health agencies to take a fresh look at mobile-phone risks," said Louis Slesin, publisher of Microwave News, who has been covering the industry since its early days. "This study should put an end to the industry's call to stop mobile-phone health research."

At least one past study conducted for the cellphone industry also had suggested a link between the phones and this type of tumor. But cellphone-industry officials yesterday said no conclusions can be drawn from the Swedish research.

The study, involving 150 acoustic-neuroma patients and 600 healthy people, is one of at least six studies that have investigated possible links between cellphone use and acoustic neuromas. Most had fewer long-term users than the Karolinska study.

Acoustic neuromas are slow-growing, noncancerous tumors that develop on a nerve linking the brain and the inner ear. The most common first symptom is hearing loss, but the tumor as it grows can push against brain tissue. If not treated, it can be life-threatening. Such tumors occur in about one person per 100,000 in the general population.

To conduct the three-year study, researchers interviewed people who had developed the tumors — asking about their cellphone use, how many phones they had used, the make and model, duration of calls, whether they used a hands-free set and on which side of the head they held the phone.

Researchers said they found no association between the tumors and the amount of use measured in hours or cumulative number of calls, but rather on the length of time those in the study had been regular users of cellphones. Regular use was defined as an average of at least once a week during six months or more.

Anders Ahlbom, director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine, said in a phone interview that the data are statistically significant, but follow-up studies are needed. He said the mechanism by which cellphone radiation might cause tumors is unknown.

Product Advisory: Nokia BL-5C battery

Dear Nokia Customer,

This is a product advisory for the Nokia-branded BL-5C battery manufactured by Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006. This product advisory does not apply to any other Nokia battery.

Nokia has identified that in very rare cases the affected batteries could potentially experience over heating initiated by a short circuit while charging, causing the battery to dislodge. Nokia is working closely with relevant local authorities to investigate this situation.

Nokia has several suppliers for BL-5C batteries that have collectively produced more than 300 million BL-5C batteries. This advisory applies only to the 46 million batteries manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006. There have been approximately 100 incidents of over heating reported globally. No serious injuries or property damage have been reported.

Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery. According to Nokia's knowledge this issue does not affect any other use of the mobile device. Concerned consumers may want to monitor a mobile device while charging that contains a BL-5C battery subject to this product advisory.


While the occurence in the BL-5C batteries produced by Matsushita in the time-period specified is very rare, for consumers wishing to do so, Nokia and Matsushita offer to replace for free any BL-5C battery subject to this product advisory.

The BL-5C batteries which are subject to the product advisory were used with the following Nokia models or separately as accessories:

Nokia 1100, Nokia 1100c, Nokia 1101, Nokia 1108, Nokia 1110, Nokia 1112, Nokia 1255, Nokia 1315, Nokia 1600, Nokia 2112, Nokia 2118, Nokia 2255, Nokia 2272, Nokia 2275, Nokia 2300, Nokia 2300c, Nokia 2310, Nokia 2355, Nokia 2600, Nokia 2610, Nokia 2610b, Nokia 2626, Nokia 3100, Nokia 3105, Nokia 3120, Nokia 3125, Nokia 6030, Nokia 6085, Nokia 6086, Nokia 6108, Nokia 6175i, Nokia 6178i, Nokia 6230, Nokia 6230i, Nokia 6270, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6620, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6631, Nokia 6670, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681, Nokia 6682, Nokia 6820, Nokia 6822, Nokia 7610, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia N72, Nokia N91, Nokia E50, Nokia E60

“Nokia” and “BL-5C” are printed on the front of the battery. On the back of the battery, the Nokia mark appears at the top, and the battery identification number (consisting of 26 characters) is found at the bottom. If the battery identification number does not contain 26 characters, it is not subject to this product advisory.

If you are interested to know if your battery is part of this product advisory, please follow the two steps below:

1) Switch off your mobile device and check the battery model. If your battery is not a BL-5C model, you are not included in this product advisory and your product will not be replaced.




2) If your battery is a BL-5C model, remove the battery and check the 26-character identification number from the back of the battery. Enter the identification number in the field below and you will be advised if your battery may be replaced.

ENTER HERE THE 26-CHARACTER PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER AND PRESS "SUBMIT"

Battery identification number:
 

Copyright ©2007 Nokia. All rights reserved.