MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY IN INDIA

AN OVERVIEW

Prepared by

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Contents
1.

INTRODUCTION

2.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

3.

MNP PRINCIPLE IN INDIA

4.

HIGH LEVEL NETWORK ARCHITECTURE FOR MNP SOLUTION

4.1.

Central Side- MNPO (Mobile Number Portability Operator)

4.2.

Operator Side (Service Providers)

5.

MNP TERMINOLOGY

6.

PORTING PROCESS FLOW

7.

POST MNP VOICE CALL FLOW

8.

POST MNP SMS FLOW

9.

PROCEDURE TO SWITCH SERVICE PROVIDER IN INDIA

10.

Reference

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List of Figures
Figure 1 HIGH LEVEL MNP ARCHITECTURE
Figure 2 END TO END PORTING PROCESS
Figure 3 End to End Call Flow for ported Number
Figure 4 POST MNP SMS FLOW FOR PORTED NUMBER

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Document Prepared by Shri

submitted to DoT for initiating the process for MNPO

1. INTRODUCTION
The much awaited MNP (Mobile Number Portability)
finally launched

on

20th Jan

2011 in India,

empowering mobile phone consumers to change

service

provider

conveniently.Mobile

Number

Portability (MNP) allows the mobile subscribers to

retain the existing mobile phone number when the
subscriber switches from one access service provider
(Operator)

to

another

irrespective

of

(Mobile Number Portability Operator). Subsequently,

the DoT issued guidelines for MNP service license on
1st August 2008. The DoT guidelines envisaged
geographical division of the country into the two
Number Portability Zones (Zone 1 North West &
Zone 2 South East), each consisting of 11 licensed
service area.

mobile

DoT issued the tender Document on 25th November

technology or from one technology to another of the

2008 for MNPO. Based on the selection parameters

same or any other access service provider, in a

set in the guidelines for MNP service license, one

licensed service area.

MNP service licensee in each zone was selected. M/s

Syniverse Technologies(I) Pvt. Ltd was granted

2. PROJECT BACKGROUND

license for operating in Zone-1 (North-West India) and

The projected was started long back in India. The first

mile stone came when The Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) issued draft Regulations to
facilitate

Mobile

implementation

Number
in

India

Portability
and

M/s MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions (I) Pvt.

Ltd (Telcordia) was granted license for MNP Service
Zone-2 (North-East India).

(MNP)

Further, on 6th May 2009, DoT issued detailed

submitted

instructions to all Access Provider/NLD/ILD licensees

recommendations to DoT on 8th March 2006. The

regarding provisioning of MNP.

draft regulations lay down the business process for

On 25th Nov 2010, MNP has been implemented in

implementing mobile number portability.

Haryana as a pilot LSA to observe implication of MNP

The Department of Telecom (DoT) had accepted

on voice as well as non voice calls.

TRAIs recommendations on 10th December 2007.

DoT had also accepted the suggestion of TRAI that a

Finally,

20th

January

2011,

Steering Committee be formed under the aegis of

implemented across the India.

MNP

has

been

TRAI, to deliberate upon various issues involved in the

implementation of MNP in the country. Accordingly,
the TRAI constituted a Steering Committee consisting
of representatives from TEC, Service Providers and
their Associations. Based on the report of the Steering
Committee and deccision of the Authority, a draft

3. MNP PRINCIPLE IN INDIA

Applicable only for Mobile Numbers
Number Portability is only applicable to Mobile
Numbers not for the Fixed/Land Line Numbers

Request for Proposal (RFP) was prepared and

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Applicable only in intra licensed area

ported in and ported out numbers. Originating network

performs MNPDB query for all originating calls and

A mobile subscriber can switch from one service

directly routes to Subscription network.

provide to another within the same license area.

Portability is applicable only in intra-circle; it is not

India Terminating International Calls/SMS

applicable in inter-circle.
ILDOs/IGPs are responsible for MNP dip for the
Applicable irrespective of Technology

International calls and SMS terminating to Indian

subscribers.

Portability

is

Possible

irrespective

of

Mobile

Technology used by Service Provider. A mobile

subscriber can change its operator from CDMA to
GSM/UMTS and vice-versa.

originating

ILDOs/IGPs
network

for

supposed
the

to

Indian

be

terminating

international calls/SMS. ILDOs/IGPs perform MNP dip

and route calls/SMS directly to the subscription
network.

LRN based routing

MNP Zones and LSA (Circle)

DoT has allocated 4 digits unique routing number

MNP ZONES

called LRN (Location Routing Number) to all Mobile

Operators for each circle to identify individual network.

S. No.

Post MNP calls (Voice/Non Voice) will be routed on

ZONE 1 Licensed

ZONE

Service Area

Service Area

Licensed

the basis of LRN. Ported numbers are prefixed with a

Gujarat

Andhra Pradesh

LRN identifying the new service provider for the

Haryana

Assam

number. So when MNP database receives a query for

Himachal Pradesh

Bihar

a given MSISDN, the data base will return the

Jammu & Kashmir

Karnataka

Maharashtra

Kerala

Punjab

Madhya Pradesh

Rajasthan

North East

Uttar Pradesh (E)

Orissa

Uttar Pradesh (W)

MSISDN prefixed with the LRN of the MNO to which it

(MSISDN) belongs. MNP database always responds
to a query with LRN+B Number. In case of Ported
Number LRN belongs to new service provider and in
case of Non Ported Number LRN belongs to same

Tamil

service provider.

Nadu

including

Chennai

MNPDB query & Routing Method

All call query and direct routing method has been
chosen for the MNP in India. MNPDB contains all

an

10

Delhi

West Bengal

11

Mumbai

Kolkata

TABLE 1 MNP ZONES AND LSA

4. HIGH LEVEL NETWORK ARCHITECTURE FOR MNP SOLUTION

Fig 1 show high level network architecture and network components for MNP solution. On high level,
complete network can be visualized into two parts:

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 Central Side MNPO (Centralized Clearing House)

Operator Side Service Providers

4.1.

CENTRAL SIDE- MNPO (MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY OPERATOR)

The central side is a MNPO, supposed to provide MNP Service in a particular zone. It is also called MNP
Clearing House (MCH). MCH shall receive mobile number portability requests from the recipient operator;
forward it to the donor operator for verification. On getting clearance from donor operator MNP service
provider shall control and coordinate the mobile number portability process. At a predetermined date and
time the MNP service provider will instruct the donor operator to disconnect the mobile number of the
subscriber and upon receiving confirmation of such effect shall instruct the recipient operator to activate the
mobile number of the subscriber. Once the mobile number is activated at the recipient operators end, the
MCH will send the details of the porting to the centralised Number Portability Database (NPDB) which in turn
will update its own database by an appropriate routing number called Location Routing Number (LRN), a
unique routing number assigned to each operator in a service area by the DoT. This updation will be
communicated by the NPDB to all the service providers for updating their respective local Number Portability
database.
MNP Service provider has to deploy its system (network) in redundant way as shown in figure in two
different geographical areas, one as a production site and another as a disaster recovery site to avoid
interruption in service due to failure of one site. Both side must be in sync and work in active redundant
mode

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FIGURE 1 HIGH LEVEL MNP ARCHITECTURE

4.2.

OPERATOR SIDE (SERVICE PROVIDERS)

Operator side consists service providers like MNO, ILDO, IGP, Fixed Line service Provider, content provider
etc. Service providers should connect their Local Number Portability database to the both sites of MNPO.
Whenever any call is made to the ported mobile number, the originating network shall first query the number
portability database to obtain LRN and then the call is routed directly to the destination mobile network.
As shown in figure, depending upon requirement and network topology, service provider can choose any of
below mention option to connect MNP service provider.
Option 1: Service provider can directly connect its gateway to Central MNPDB of MNP service provider and
perform MNP query to Central MNPDB to get appropriate LRN to route originating calls to subscription
network. In this option service provider not required to deploy its Local MNPDB separately.
Option 2: Service Provider can deploy its separate Local MNPDB and connect it to Central MNPDB through
its number portability gateway (NPG). Local MNPDB is synchronized with Central MNPDB of the MNP
service provider. In this option service provider performs MNP query to its Local MNPDB to get appropriate

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LRN to route originating calls to subscription network.

Option 3: This option is similar to the Option 2 but in this, Local MNPDB is the Part of service providers STP
(Signaling Transfer Point), whereas in option 2 Local MNPDB is independent node. In this option, service
provider performs MNP query to its STP (which consist Local MNPDB) to get appropriate LRN to route
originating calls to subscription network.

5. MNP TERMINOLOGY

CCH: Centralized Clearing House. Negotiating between Donor & Recipient Operator during porting
process and responsible for Central NP Database Administration.

CNPDB: Centralized Number Portability Database. Repository for Ported Subscribers information.

Donor Network: The initial network where the number was located before being ported.

LRN: Location Routing Number. A unique routing number assigned to each operator in a service
area by the DoT.

LNPDB: Local Number Portability Database, deployed by service provider for the repository of
Ported Subscribers information.

MNPDB: Mobile Number Portability Database.

NPG: Number Portability gateway. The network component which connects service providers
LNPDB to the MNP Service Providers gateway.

Originating Network: The Network where the calling party is currently connected.

Recipient Network: The network where a number is located after being ported.

Routing Prefix: Routable number to identify the Service provider, Technology and the Service area
for the called party.

6. PORTING PROCESS FLOW

Fig 2 shows end to end porting process flow between Recipient Network to MCH and MCH to Donor
Network.

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FIGURE 2 END TO END PORTING PROCESS

7. POST MNP VOICE CALL FLOW

Fig 3 shows post MNP voice call flow for ported number.
1. A call is initiated by Mobile Subscriber A towards Mobile Subscriber B, using the MSISDN of the
called subscriber.
2. When VMSCA receives the call setup indication, it will send a MNP query to the LNPDB as a result
of analysis of the received MSISDN including the MSISDN in the query.
3. The LNPDB detects that the MSISDN is ported and responds back to the VMSCA with a Location
Routing Number (LRN) pointing out the Subscription network.
4. The call is routed to the Subscription network based on the Location Routing Number carried in
ISUP IAM message. Here, format of Called Number (B-Number) = LRN+NSN, where NSN =
National significant number (excluding country code).

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5. The GMSCB requests routing information by submitting a MAP SRI to the HLRB, including the
MSISDN in the request.

FIGURE 3 END TO END CALL FLOW FOR PORTED NUMBER

The HLRB requests an MSRN from the MSC/VLRB where the mobile subscriber
currently is registered.

The MSC/VLRB returns an MSRN back to the HLRB.

The HLRB responds to the GMSCB by sending an SRI ack with an MSRN.

GMSCB uses the MSRN to route the call to VMSCB.

Once IAM terminates to appropriate MSC/VLR, subsequent messages like ACM, ANM, REL and RLC (other
ISUP messages for Call completion) will flows between Originating and Subscription network as it is.

8. POST MNP SMS FLOW

Fig 4 shows post MNP SMS flow for ported number. The message flows for this scenario are based on the
use of an SCCP-relay function in the MNP-SRFs.

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FIGURE 4 POST MNP SMS FLOW FOR PORTED NUMBER

1. The SMSC forwards a SM to the SMS-GMSC via a proprietary interface.

2. The SMS-GMSC generates a routing enquiry for SM delivery. The MAP SRI_for_SM message is
routed to the networks MNP-SRF.
3. When MNP-SRFA receives the message, MNP-SRF operation is triggered. The MNP-SRF
functionality analyses the MSISDN in the CdPA and identifies the MSISDN as being ported using
information which may be retrieved from an LNPDB. As the message is non-call related, the MNPSRF function then populates the CdPA with a location routing number and MSISDN. The format of
CdPA = CC+LRN+NDC+SN. After modifying the CdPA, the message is routed to MNP-SRFB in the
subscription network.
4. When MNP-SRFB receives the message, MNP-SRF operation is triggered. The MNP-SRF
functionality analyses the MSISDN (CC+LRN+NDC+SN) in the CdPA and identifies the MSISDN as
being ported into the network using information which may be retrieved from a LNPDB. The MNPSRF function then populates the CdPA with an HLRB address. After modifying the CdPA, the
message is routed to HLRB.
5. HLRB responds to the routing enquiry by sending back a SRI_for_SM ack with the address of the
VMSC.
6. The SMS-GMSC can now deliver the message to the VMSCB using a Forward_SMS message.

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7. VMSCB further delivers the message to MSB.

9. PROCEDURE TO SWITCH SERVICE PROVIDER IN INDIA

A mobile subscriber has to carried out following procedure for opting a new mobile service provider under
MNP
1. Send an SMS (Port <space>your mobile number) to 1900. You will get a reply SMS with a Unique
Porting Code (UPC) from 1901.
2. Submit an application to the service provider where you want to shift with this UPC in a prescribed
format (Remember the UPC will be valid only for few days). You have to submit your identity proof,
address proof, and photograph along with this UPC.
3. Your application will be processed by the new service provider and you will get an application
receipt confirmation and the details of porting date.
4. In the next seven days, the MCH will check if you have any outstanding dues and then process your
request.
5. Once the porting is completed, you will receive confirmation message. Your new service will then
start on your old number.

10.

REFERENCE

http://www.trai.gov.in

http://www.dot.gov.in

http://www.coai.in

http://www.3gpp.org

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