Mobile phone users, by February, will be able to keep their current number even if they switch from one operator to another, Minister of Telecommunication Division Tarana Halim said today.
Once the service "Mobile Number Portability or MNP" is activated, the overall service quality provided by the telecom operators will be improved, Tarana told reporters at a press briefing at Secretariat in Dhaka.
"Subscribers will be able to switch to a better option if they are not satisfied with the current one," the state minister said adding that this will make the mobile phone operators to give competitive offers.
Each subscribers will be charged Tk 30 for the MNP service and be able to switch operators after every 40 days, Tarana said.
They will be able to opt-in to the service through a text message, web application or retail service outlets, according to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved a guideline for the MNP on September 20.
At present, mobile subscribers of at least 70 countries are getting the MNP service.