How To Change Mobile Phone Service Provider- Retaining the Same Number?

Mobile Number Portability/MNP is the facility to switch over from one Mobile Phone Service Provider  from anywhere in India to another Service Provider anywhere in India, retaining the same Mobile Number.

This facility of ‘Mobile Number Portability’ was introduced in India from 1st January 2011, for porting within the circles.

However, the National Rollout of ‘MNP’ across all  the States and Telecom Circles has been established since 3rd July 2015.

Who can make use of Mobile Number Portability?

Any Mobile Phone user, whose current Mobile service is more than 90 days from the date of activation, can make use of the MNP facility:

• To switch over from one Mobile Service Provider to another in the same place and/or in a different place anywhere in India.

• To switch over from Code Division Multiple Access/CDMA to Global System for Mobile/GSM or from GSM to CDMA within the same service provider or to another.

How To get the Mobile Number Ported?

In the case of ‘Post Paid’ customers, the latest bill must have been paid in full.

In the case of Pre- paid customers, it must be ensured that the balance in the mobile service is “NIL”, as the balance, if any, will get elapsed in the process of porting.

Step 1: 

The customer must send a Text Message- “PORT’ “  from the existing mobile number to the number ‘1900’.

Once the message is successfully sent, the customer will receive an ‘Unique Poring Code’/UPC Code with 8 digits, valid for 15 days.

For the customers in Jammu&Kashmir, as prepaid SMS is not permitted in J&K, the customer must dial ‘1900’ and obtain the UPC.

Step 2: 

The customer will have to go to the nearest mobile operator showroom of the mobile service to which he/she wishes to get ported,

along with the ‘UPC’ and photo copies of Address Proof and ID proof and a recent passport size photo of the customer and

Fill in the prescribed application form for porting and

submit the same along with the photo copies of Address Proof and Photo ID proof and

pay a nominal fee of about Rs 19/- and get a new SIM card from the new service provider’s shop.

(Note:  The customer may cancel the porting request within 24hrs of applying for porting. However, the porting charges payable/collected will not be refunded.)

Within one day of submitting the application, the customer will receive a message accepting the number porting.  The process of porting will take normally 7 days.

A disruption will occur for 2 hours during mid night in the previous net work and an SMS  will be received providing the date and time of porting.

Step 3:

Then the customer may insert the new SIM start using the mobile with the same number under the new service provider.