Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally launch the mobile number portability (MNP) services on Sunday.
“The prime minister will launch the MNP services at a function at her official Ganabhaban residence at 10am today,” Prime Minister’s Office sources told the BSS.
The much-awaited MNP services were introduced “commercially on a trial” basis in Bangladesh on October 1.
With this Bangladesh became the 72nd country to make the services available.
The services have opened up the users’ freedom of choice in switching to any network, retaining the existing number unchanged, which was not possible earlier because of the hassle of changing numbers.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) announced the launching of the MNP services at a press conference on October 1.
BTRC Acting Chairman Md Jahurul Haque at the press conference said: “We hope the MNP will,with improved services, lead to greater competition in the market.”
The telecom watchdog assigned Infozillion Teletech BD, a consortium of Infozillion BD Limited and Teletech DOO, Slovenia, by issuing a license in November last year to offer the MNP service.
It was directed to run the operation within 180 days of getting the license but, failed to comply with the order due to the non-compliance of mobile phone operators.
Infozillion Teletech BD Managing Director Mabroor Hossain said: “As per the BTRC rule, mobile phone users must collect new SIMs from the customer care of the desired operator.
“Within a particular time, the new SIM card would be activated,” he said
Mabroor said they have taken initiatives to complete the porting within 24 hours for prepaid users.
Infozillion Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lt Col (retd) Mohammad Zulfikar said the user intending to switch to new operator under the MNP service has to give related information and documents such as NID number and picture when collecting a new SIM.
“Though the regulator has given a time frame of 72 hours to activate the SIMs, Infozillion assures the customers that the process would be completed much earlier,” he said.
Zulfikar also said: “If any user wants to the change operatoragain, he or she has to wait for 90 days.”
According to BTRC, currently 72 countries across the world offer MNP service. India began MNP service in 2011 and Pakistan launched it in 2007.