MNP service lunched in Bangladesh

FT ONLINE

The much-awaited mobile number portability (MNP) service was launched Monday morning on a trial basis.

Bangladesh becomes the 72nd country to make the service available.

The service will roll out at zero hour, said Md Jahirul Haque, acting chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

The MNP service allows a subscriber to change telecom carrier keeping the same phone number.

The service will be launched officially later following feedback from customers on the test run, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar said on earlier on Wednesday.

Officials said all the mobile phone operators, public switched telephone network (PSTN) operators and other operators have already been connected with the platform of the assigned MNP firm – Infozillion BD Teletech Consortium Limited (IBTCL).

Customers will be charged Tk 50 as well as a 15% value-added tax (VAT) to change carriers within 72 hours.

To do so within 24 hours, another Tk 100 has to be paid. Both require a visit to the new operator’s customer care centre.

A customer will have to wait for 90 days if they want to change operators again.

Market leader Grameenphone is also prepared. Grameenphone Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Mahmud Hossain said they have taken all preparations to welcome customers into the new service.

In terms of subscribers, number two operator of the market, Robi said it is waiting for MNP. Executive Vice President and Head of Regulatory Affairs of the operator Shahed Alam said that they are fully ready to offer the service to the customers.

Besides, Taimur Rahman, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer of Banglalink said they are prepared to implement the MNP service in accordance with the government’s guidelines.

“Once the service is implemented, customers would no longer need to change their mobile numbers in case they want to switch from one network (operator) to another,” he said, adding, “We believe that this facility will play a vital role in ensuring their freedom of choice in the days to come.”

Infozillion BD Teletech, a joint venture between a Bangladeshi firm and a Slovenian firm, which received the licence of the service, completed the preparations for the launch.

Mabroor Hossain, managing director of Infozillion BD Teletech, said 20 customers have already availed of the service in the morning while more than 100 customers applied for to do so.