Mobile number portability : Is it significant factor to shape Indian telecom industry?

Abstract

The increasing use of mobile for all business and family correspondence renders an identity to the person. People were reluctant to change their mobile number except for few situations like change in location where they were left with no other option. To reduce such switching cost and ensure competitive offerings to the subscriber, the concept of MNP was introduced. There are a number of factors contributing to selection and thereby retention of the mobile operator. Especially in country like India, with diversity in demographics across the states, we tried to analyse these factors and thereby gauge the future market potential for incumbent and new entrants in Indian telecom market. The rural and urban population samples from Maharashtra were surveyed to identify such triggers for switch of operators. The results were tested statistically using ANOVA and Multiple Regression, and were further analysed in association with secondary research. We thus analysed the factors contributing towards the tendency to switch operators by rural and urban subscriber