Mobile Number portability in India -- Biggest Gainers and Losers as of 7 July 2011

Mobile Number Portability (the ability to change one's operator without changing the number) has started transforming the look of the Indian Indian mobile market.

The major change, which is becoming clearly visible now (after the advent of MNP), is that CDMA technology is on the verge of getting ousted from the Indian mobile market. In the past six months of the launch of MNP in the country, about 10 lakh or 1 million CDMA subscribers have ditched the technology.

One of the major reasons for subscribers leaving CDMA technolgy for GSM are: the connectivity problems, and overall poor service.

The Mobile Number portability in India is launched across the country on 20 January 2011. By 7 July 2011 9.89 Lakh CDMA subscribers have ported their number to GSM. The biggest loss of this loyalty change is suffered by Anil Ambani's Reliance Communications. Courtesy, the opportunity provided by the MNP, about 5.42 lah or 542000 CDMA subscribers of Reliance Communications have opted for GSM. Reliance Communications has to see even higher subscriber loss in GSM arena as well. Fed up by its GSM service, about 6.36 lakh Relaince GSM  subscribers ported to other operators. Another operator offering CDMa technoloy based mobile services, the Tata Teleservices (CDMA service is called Tata Indicom), also has to suffer subscriber loss. Its 4.47 lakh or 4,47,000 subscribers changed loyalties.

One player which was expected to suffer major subscriber loss after the advent of MNP in the country is the state run BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited). With more than 6 lakh or 600,000 subscribers ditching its GSM based mobile service; BSNL is a clear case of Government apathy or indifference. During the past one decade BSNL is constantly allowing private players to encroach on its market share. May be this indifference is a conscious move from Government to restrict itself to sensitive sectors like defence and space.

The top gainer post MNP is the Kumar Mangalam Birla Group's Idea Cellular.Since the launch of MNP, It has gained more than 8.59 lakh or 8,59,000 subscribers.

Portability Effect:

Top Gainers (Number of subscribers pulled from rivals):

Idea 8,59,798
Vodafone 7,59,910
Airtel 6,69,937
Aircel 79,187
Tata GSM 25,494


Top Losers (Number of subscribers lost to rivals):

Reliance GSM 6,36,439
BSNL 6,05,570
Reliance CDMA 5,42,262
Tata Indicom 4,47,592
Datacom 79,616 --------

No comments