MTNL expects number portability to lead to migration to its mobile network

New Delhi: Welcoming the mobile number portability, government owned telecom company MTNL says it is confident of generating additional opportunities as it expected some of the high-end customers to migrate to its network.

The service provider says since the initial cost of service was very high both in terms of hand sets and the usage charges, the initial customer base was mostly high-end customers who could afford these services till MTNL helped bring down tariffs by providing cost effective and quality service.  

MTNL says the reason its had entered GSM mobile services almost six years later than its competitors was due to various reasons which included the court case filed by its private sector rivals to prevent its entry into mobile services.

By this time the high-end customers, had already subscribed to the competitors. As such high end customers do not like to change their numbers, "the steps taken by the government to provide number portability will facilitate MTNL to cater to the needs of such customers", the service provider said in a communiqué welcoming mobile number portability.

In 2007-08, MTNL plans to widen the cellular and CDMA-based WLL customer base, introducing IPTV and VoIP services, achieving at least 5,00,000 broadband customers, and further expanding of telecom services in Mauritius through its subsidiary.