Money savings tips on mobile number portability

Money savings tips on mobile number portability

iTrust Financial Advisors, On Friday 21 January 2011, 11:38 PM

MNP or Mobile Number Portability is now reality. If you have been unhappy with your mobile telephony services provider, you can now switch to a provider of your choice while retaining your existing mobile number. Here we share some money saving tips for you.

So far, the cost of moving from one mobile network to another was very high. This "switching cost" was mostly about the inconvenience caused to you as you would lose your old number and then have to get a new mobile number. This was a bigger pain for post-paid subscribers rather than pre-paid ones. Imagine the confusion when your contacts would be trying to reach you on your old number and fail. Well, now this kind of a switching cost has gone away through number portability but don't ignore some other costs and ways of saving money.

1. Deposits: If you have paid any deposits for services you were getting, for example deposit for international roaming, then make sure you get it back at the time you cancel your subscription with your current provider. Or, you can use this deposit to settle your last bill with them.

2. Handset costs: If you switch from a network using CDMA to GSM, or vice versa, you will likely need to change your handset as well. So, make sure that if you switch to an alternative network, your handset will remain compatible so you don't incur an additional cost of purchasing a new phone.

3. Switching fee of Rs 19: Customers switching to a new network will be charged a fee of Rs 19. Ask your new provider to waive off this charge or offer you a discount - it is totally within their means to give this to you.

4. Freebies: Many providers will be offering introductory freebies such as free talk time or free sms packages if you migrate your number to their networks. Rather than impulsively changing your network today, maybe you can wait for another week or maybe up to a month to see what freebies will be on offer, and then choose the best package for yourself.

The experience of MNP from other countries suggests that subscribes don't usually migrate in huge numbers. If you plan to switch, choose wisely and make sure you are able to get a good deal. After all, MNP will introduce more competition in the market and this dynamic can only benefit you in both the short and long run.

By www.iTrust.in - India's leading one-stop financial supermarket for real estate, home loans, investments, taxes and financial planning.