2. What is MNP?
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requires that mobile telephone customers can
keep their telephone number when switching from one provider of mobile
telecommunications services to another.
In the absence of MNP, customers have to give up their number and must adopt a
new one when they switch operators. As a result, customers face switching costs
associated with informing people about changing their number, printing new
business cards, missing valuable calls from people that do not have the new
number, etc.
Number Portability allows subscribers to change their service provider while
retaining their old mobile number even when the circle changes. Portability
benefits subscribers and increases the level of competition between service
providers, rewarding service providers with the best customer service, network
coverage, and service quality.
3. Some Basic Terms
MNP Gateway
MNP gateway acts as a mediator
RMS
RMS {Resource Management System or Number Management System} application is used
to manage the operator inventory.
ASAP
ASAP (Automated Service activation program) is an application which is integrated with
network elements like {HLR, IN, OTA etc}.
ESB
When the ESB receives a message, it routes the message to the appropriate application.
Often, because that application evolved without the same message model, the ESB has to
transform the message into a format that the application can interpret.
4. Some Basic Terms( Cont’d)
DMS {Distributor Management System}
is an application used by channel partners {Distributors} to manage his
inventory. It is useful to stop cross sale in the market and increase satisfaction
between partners.
It is used to generate purchase order. i.e. to purchase SIM, recharge vouchers
from service provider.
5. MNP- Port In
1. If a non-uninor customer is Porting-In to uninor for second time, his earlier status
would be= PORTED-OUT & SIM status= Expired.
2. Earlier, if a Ported-In customer had got disconnected from uninor, after the
quarantined period, his number would have been returned (as a part of MNP
reverse process). Now, if the same MSISDN returns for Port-In, at NMS, the status
of MSISDN will be= PORTED-IN-REVERSED & SIM status= Expired.
3. In the above two cases, when Insert Instruction is received, NMS will set the
MSISDN status to PORT-IN & SIM status to Blank.
4. Now, if a Uninor number, which had ported out, returns. In this case the MSISDN
status at NMS will be PORTED-OUT and SIM status will be Expired. Now, when
Insert Instruction is received, NMS will set the MSISDN to Pre-activated.
6. MNP Port-In (Cont’d)
Change MSISDN & activation request received:
1) Unpair the Uninor SIM’s IMSI and Pair this IMSI with MNP MSISDN.
2) Set the status of the MNP MSISDN to pre-provisioned.
3) Send result (success/failure) to ESB.
On successful CHANGE MSISDN msg received, set MNP MSISDN status to PORTED-IN
ASSIGNED and SIM status to Assigned.
7. Port In Process
Porting Processes
During the number porting process, Participants exchange information via the Mobile Number
Portability Clearinghouse (MCH) to port a subscriber’s telephone number.
The Porting Processes for Operator Ports:
Port Request and Activation - Recipient initiates with a request, and later activates the number.
Port Cancellation – Subscriber has 24 hours to cancel. Recipient uses this process if the Recipient had
previously submitted the port Request.
Recipient sends Message to MCH when a Subscriber contacts Recipient to port their number(s), all
communication between MCH and Service provider happens through MNP Gateway exists at Service
provide end.
Recipient provides Porting Code and Subscriber Request Date
MCH validates, and send Port Request to Donor
Donor validates the Recipient’s information
8. Port In Process(Cont’d)
Donor sends Port Response to MCH
Donor flags numbers being rejected and why. Below are the TRAI guided validations done by donor
operator on the subscriber number and can reject if any fails.
Circle Check
UPC Code Mismatch
UPC Expiry {UPC Code validity is 15 days from the date of generation}
90 days validation {subscriber should continue 90 days in service provider from the date of
activation}
Employee SIM {Service Provider can stop Port if Subscriber holds a Number that provider issue to his
employees}
E-Load SIM {Service provide can stop the Port if subscriber holds a E-load number that is being
used by channel partners for e-Recharge transactions, or used in activation}.
MCH validates response; if any number is rejected the port is rejected.
MCH sends Port Response to Recipient and Donor
9. Port In Process(Cont’d)
If Port is accepted, MCH provides the Port Time for activation
Recipient notes numbers rejected for porting and why.
What if Donor does not send Port Response message on time?
MCH sends Port Response to Recipient and Donor accepting the port and setting
the Port Time
MCH will reject Port Response if Donor sends it after the timer has expired.
When Port Time arrives MCH sends Message Execute Port to Donor
Donor deactivates the numbers.
Donor sends Response Port Deactivated to MCH.
MCH sends Port activated to Recipient
10. Port In Process(Cont’d)
MCH provides the route
Recipient activates the numbers.
What if Donor does not send Port Deactivated in time?
MCH sends Port activated to Recipient and setting the Port Time
MCH will reject Message if Donor sends it after the timer has expired.
The Recipient sends Message – Port Activated to MCH
MCH sends Message – Port Activated Broadcast to Recipient, Donor and the Other Participants.
MCH provides the numbers and the route to be used for all the numbers in the port.
MCH indicates each number that is now being served by the Original Assignee (OA) as a result of
the port.
Donor and Other Participants note numbers being ported and the Route to be used for those
numbers.
11.
12. Retailer
SMS
Enterprise Service Bus
DTR
(Approval of
distributor)
Customer Agreement Form
Enterprise Service Bus
MNP Gateway
Enterprise Service Bus
Resource Management System
(Request Initiate for PORT_OUT)
(Start PORT_OUT Validation)
Distributor Management System
Address Verification And Management
Enterprise Service Bus
MNP Gateway
Enterprise Service Bus
CIM (Number Tag)
Customer Agreement Form
Port In Explained via Flow Charts
13. Port Accept(Y) Failure (within 1 day
or immediate)
RMS DMS CIM
Success (72-hrs)
(Unblocked the number) (Un-mapping) (Un-tag)
MNP Gateway
(PORTIN_RESP)
14. Service Connect
Service Connect Request
MNP Gateway
Enterprise Service Bus
U 2 U U 2 Other
Enterprise Service Bus Enterprise Service Bus
Resource Management System Resource Management System
Automated Service Activation Process Automated Service Activation Process
Enterprise Service Bus Enterprise Service Bus
CIM RMS DMS
Publish (Extra Circle)
15. Advantages of NMNP over MNP
This move is obviously going to benefit millions who move from one circle to
another, but more over, the biggest benefit would be that they will be able
to keep their mobile numbers.
On an average, most mobile users have over 200 contacts on their mobile
phones and informing everyone about your changed number is a nightmare
to say the least. And when you change your number, you need to keep you
earlier number active for atleast few months so you will not lose important
calls. This does cost lot of money and additional head-ache of carrying 2
mobile connections at the same time. Now, that will be history.
16. Repercussions
And as far as the repercussions go, telecom operators will need to even
remain more competitive now. They will now be competing not only at local
level, but at national level as well. The little disparity of tariff which is
present in different circles will probably go away now.
On the other hand, consumers also need to keep in mind that operators are
now moving towards a unified Pan-India offerings. Recently, Reliance
Communication had announced “One India One Rate” plan where they do
not make any distinction between Local, STD and Roaming. If all providers
go that way, full portability may lose its sheen a bit as well!
Editor's Notes
Based on these considerations, many regulatory authorities have imposed mandatory MNP, so as to reduce customer's switching cost, attempting to make mobile telecommunications more competitive.
MNP Gateway
between Recipient operator, Service operator and MNP clearing house. All the requests and responses between MNP Clearing house, service operator and Recipient operator flow through MNP gateway
RMS
RMS is also used in MNP for UPC Code generation and Port-Out response by checking all the validations.
ASAP
ASAP is used to provision/activation of numbers at Operator Network.
The prime duties of an ESB are:
Monitor and control routing of message exchange between services
Resolve contention between communicating service components
Control deployment and versioning of services
Marshal use of redundant services
Cater for commodity services like event handling, data transformation and mapping, message and event queuing and sequencing, security or exception handling, protocol conversion and enforcing proper quality of communication service.
It is used to receive material and process against his account by using Goods receipt note {GRN} feature.
It is used to raise sales order to Retailers and manage his inventory, check current stock etc.
Important feature of this application is to validate partner hierarchy, inventory validation during activation of number.
Network management system (NMS)
Mobile Station International Suscriber Directory Number (MSISDN)
IMSI- International Mobile Subscriber Identity
Porting Processes
During the number porting process, Participants exchange information via the Mobile Number Portability Clearinghouse (MCH) to port a subscriber’s telephone number.
The Porting Processes for Operator Ports:
Port Request and Activation - Recipient initiates with a request, and later activates the number.
Port Cancellation – Subscriber has 24 hours to cancel. Recipient uses this process if the Recipient had previously submitted the port Request.
Recipient sends Message to MCH when a Subscriber contacts Recipient to port their number(s), all communication between MCH and Service provider happens through MNP Gateway exists at Service provide end.
Recipient provides Porting Code and Subscriber Request Date
MCH validates, and send Port Request to Donor
Donor validates the Recipient’s information
Donor sends Port Response to MCH
Donor flags numbers being rejected and why. Below are the TRAI guided validations done by donor operator on the subscriber number and can reject if any fails.
Circle Check
UPC Code Mismatch
UPC Expiry {UPC Code validity is 15 days from the date of generation}
90 days validation {subscriber should continue 90 days in service provider from the date of activation}
Employee SIM {Service Provider can stop Port if Subscriber holds a Number that provider issue to his employees}
E-Load SIM {Service provide can stop the Port if subscriber holds a E-load number that is being used by channel partners for e-Recharge transactions, or used in activation}.
MCH validates response; if any number is rejected the port is rejected.
MCH sends Port Response to Recipient and Donor
If Port is accepted, MCH provides the Port Time for activation
Recipient notes numbers rejected for porting and why.
What if Donor does not send Port Response message on time?
MCH sends Port Response to Recipient and Donor accepting the port and setting the Port Time
MCH will reject Port Response if Donor sends it after the timer has expired.
When Port Time arrives MCH sends Message Execute Port to Donor
Donor deactivates the numbers.
Donor sends Response Port Deactivated to MCH.
MCH sends Port activated to Recipient
MCH provides the route
Recipient activates the numbers.
What if Donor does not send Port Deactivated in time?
MCH sends Port activated to Recipient and setting the Port Time
MCH will reject Message if Donor sends it after the timer has expired.
The Recipient sends Message – Port Activated to MCH
MCH sends Message – Port Activated Broadcast to Recipient, Donor and the Other Participants.
MCH provides the numbers and the route to be used for all the numbers in the port.
MCH indicates each number that is now being served by the Original Assignee (OA) as a result of the port.
Donor and Other Participants note numbers being ported and the Route to be used for those numbers.
MNP Gateway
MNP gateway acts as a mediator between Recipient operator, Service operator and MNP clearing house. All the requests and responses between MNP Clearing house, service operator and Recipient operator flow through MNP gateway
RMS
RMS {Resource Management System or Number Management System} application is used to manage the operator inventory.
RMS is also used in MNP for UPC Code generation and Port-Out response by checking all the validations.
ASAP
ASAP (Automated Service activation program) is an application which is integrated with network elements like {HLR, IN, OTA etc}.
ASAP is used to provision/activation of numbers at Operator Network.
ESB
When the ESB receives a message, it routes the message to the appropriate application. Often, because that application evolved without the same message model, the ESB has to transform the message into a format that the application can interpret. A software adapter fulfils the task of effecting these transformations, analogously to a physical adapter.
