It will be possible to keep your phone number when changing the mobile operator from January 1, 2013, provided that the technical side of the issue has been worked out by the end of the year, network loads and economic risks have been calculated. Earlier it was reported that the new service will become available only by 2014.
Today, it is possible to save a mobile phone number when changing an operator in Russia only after obtaining consent from Roskomnadzor. Already next year, this opportunity may become available to everyone. The new service will be provided free of charge. Operators will have to transfer the number within three days from the date of submission of the application from the subscriber.
The issue of introducing a subscriber number portability service in Russia when changing a mobile operator (MNP) was instructed to work out by the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications in early April 2012 by the already former President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev. The draft of the new law is ready, but many questions are still open. For example, questions on the tariffication of calls through the network of another operator, questions on intranet roaming, on interaction with payment systems. Problems can arise when contacting emergency services, which will be extremely difficult to track the subscriber.
The implementation of this project does not require the attraction of any funds from the federal budget, the financial part of the issue lies entirely with the mobile operators themselves. According to preliminary estimates of experts, the one-time total costs of upgrading the networks will amount to at least $ 50-60 million. In addition, the cost of maintaining a clearing company that accumulates numbering capacity will amount to about $ 10 million annually. For comparison, the current cost of creating a database does not exceed $ 1 million per year.
According to the deputy head of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications Naum Marder, the implementation of the project will largely affect the end users. All mobile users, including those who will never use this service, will actually pay for the free number portability. Operators must compensate for their costs, which will inevitably lead to higher tariffs. But investments in expanding and improving networks in the regions will decrease.
