Mobile number portability (MNP) refers to a system which allows users to switch mobile phone carriers without a change in their current number. Without the ability to change suppliers without disrupting social and economic relationships (a necessary consequence of having to give up one’s number/address every time the service supplier is changed) competition cannot work well.
Pakistan has taken the lead in implementing MNP and India is considering its adoption. MNP has costs and the debates are still ongoing about the minimum threshold market size for MNP and about who has to bear the costs.
In this research the minimum size of a market that can support MNP will be assessed. The question of how to assign the costs of the MNP transition as well as the preconditions for successful implementation will be determined.
This research was conducted by Tahani Iqbal in 2009/10
Downloads
Iqbal, T. (2010), Mobile Number Portability in South Asia
Citation for the above report should be done as: Author Last Name, First Name Initial, (2010), Report Name, Retrieved Date, URL of document on LIRNEasia website.
Media coverage
- Mobile number portability: Bangladeshi poor clients won’t get benefit, The Financial Express, Bangladesh, 11 April 2010
- Mobile Number portability is not for Bangladeshi poor, Bhorer Kagoj (Bangala), Bangladesh, 10 April 2010
- Mobile Number portability is not for Bangladeshi poor, Naya Diganta(Bangla), Bangladesh, 10 April 2010
- Mobile Number portability is not for Bangladesh, Jaijaidin (Bangla), 9 April 2010
- TV coverage of findings from “Mobile Number Portability for the BOP” (Interview with Tahani Iqbal ), ETV (Bangladesh), 29 March 2010
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