Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in Pakistan

Mobile Number Portability refers to the option of retaining your existing number while using services of another telecommunication provider.


Generally the common type of MNP is called the recipient based whereby a customer who wishes to switch to a new service provider asks the new provider to complete the process.
Another process which is implemented in the UK is donor based i-e customer asks his existing provider to give him Porting Authorization code or PAC which he then gives to his new service provide to complete the porting process.


In Pakistan , we have the recipient based MNP process which is considered better then donor based because the customer does not have to ask existing provider to allow him to port to other network. Existing service provider may delay the process or even force customer in every way possible not to port in to other telecom operator.


While we have long been waiting for 3G services in Pakistan , and continue to do so, we must also acknowledge the fact that Pakistan was the first country in South Asia to start Mobile Number Portability . In Pakistan Mobile Number Portability started in March,2007. Our neighboring India has just started this service  in January 2011 , almost four years after Pakistan.Even Singapore implemented MNP after Pakistan in 2008.
In Pakistan , users have the option to port between prepaid and postpaid while countries which are technologically more advanced like Singapore do not provide this option.


Pakistan MNP database Guarantee Limited handles maintains the Central Number Portability Clearing House which was created in 2005 and is a subsidiary of the five cellular companies in Pakistan. Telenor was the first cellular company to achieve 1 million MNP customers landmark.


While it is highly appreciable that Pakistan was quick to provide this facility to mobile users , the process of transferring from one operator to another operator takes approximately four days to complete. Other countries take considerably less time to do the same process like Canada where it takes just 20 minutes, and the US takes just 2 hours. 


Since the launch of Mobile Number Portability there has been huge demand for the facility,
In the near future , Pakistani cellular operators should work closely together to reduce the time it takes to complete the process. Ideal time period could be anywhere between 12-24 hours. 


While all the cellular companies provide lucrative benefits for switching to their networks one must keep first check the network quality of any cellular provider and pricing plans before deciding to switch.