Mobile Number portability launched in India

• The service was inaugurated on Thursday at Rohtak in Haryana for the entire state circle and will be extended to the rest of the country in a phased manner.
• Facility that will allow a subscriber to retain his cellphone number when he moves from one access or service provider to another, irrespective of the mobile technology, or from one cellular mobile technology to another of the same service provider. 
• Apart from regular SIM cards, MNP would also be available on SIM cards purchased to be used as Internet data cards.
  
• However, numbers can be ported only within the same service areas as licences are issued to operators for specific circles.
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has fixed a ceiling of Rs.19 as porting charges that the new service provider may collect from the subscriber. The money will go to the clearing house for facilitating the service.