Lack of operators support and public awareness are hindering Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in Bangladesh, speakers at a seminar said.
Despite being introduced nearly six years ago, Mobile Number Portability (MNP) services in Bangladesh have seen minimal adoption due to non-cooperation from mobile network operators (MNOs) and a lack of public awareness.
According to Infozillion Teletech BD, the country’s sole MNP service provider, only 3,122 mobile subscribers switched operators in May 2024 — a steep decline from 1.11 lakh in May 2019, shortly after the service launched in October 2018. The company disclosed the figures at a seminar titled “Mobile Number Portability: Service, Challenges, and Possibilities,” organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters’ Network Bangladesh (TRNB) in Dhaka on Tuesday.
MNP allows mobile users to retain their existing phone numbers while switching service providers. However, less than 1% of Bangladesh’s 18.65 crore active mobile subscribers have ported their numbers since its inception, highlighting the service’s limited reach.
Infozillion noted that the MNP licence requires both the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and mobile operators to promote the service through print and electronic media. Paradoxically, just before the launch of MNP, the BTRC prohibited MNOs from running MNP-related advertisements, further hampering awareness.
In another move, the BTRC in 2023 mandated that all machine-generated SMS — including one-time passwords — be routed through a central platform managed by the MNP provider, but only when sent via SMS aggregators, who act as intermediaries for the MNOs.
The seminar was moderated by TRNB General Secretary Masuduzzaman Robin and chaired by its President, Samir Kumar Dey. Infozillion Managing Director Mabroor Hossain and CEO Brigadier General (Retd) Md Mustafa Kamal also attended the event.