MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY BADLY AFFECTED BSNL AND MTNL

It will be quite harsh to say that the Mobile Number
Portability (MNP) system has backfired for the
government. But if the reports and figures are anything
to go by,the government has been financially hit hard
after the launch of the system. The two state-run
telecom companies Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL)
and the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL)
have lost millions of subscribers to the private telecom
companies.
The latest figures released by the government say that
sofar nearly 9.33 lakh BSNL subscribers have
switched to private players using the MNP. The
number of customers joining the BSNL network
remains as low as 3.49 lakhs. Thus, the total loss
incurred by BSNL is more than 5.84 lakh subscribers.
The MTNL has no different story to tell. The network
that operates in Delhi and Mumbai circles lost 67,198
subscribers to private players, while only 11,593
joining the network. The net outgo is of 55,605
subscribers.
It may be recalled that the BSNL was once number
one mobile operator in the country. But over the years
the company regularly lost its subscribers base to the
private players. With 9.28 crore subscribers, the BSNL
stands at the fifth position in the market led by Bharti
Airtel. The BSNL owns a mere 11 percent of market
share, while Airtel has nearly 20 percent market share
with 16.70 crore subscribers.
And the most notable fact is that Airtel is increasing its
subscribers base every month unlike the BSNL that is
ending in red every month. According to reports, Airtel
is adding whopping 25 lakh customers every month.
The figures clearly show the dismal performance of the
state-run telecom companies. The private players, on
the other hand, rose well enough in the meantime. The
BSNLand MTNL saw a rapid dip in their landline
subscribers soon after the mobile revolution started
peaking 6-7 years ago. And now the MNP is
apparently not helping much.