FIPB approves Telcordia Technologies to manage mobile number portability (India)

The foreign investment promotion board (FIPB) has approved US-based Telcordia Technologies’ offer to function as one of the two clearing houses for managing number portability in the country. The approval to Telcordia comes at a time when mobile number portability (MNP) is set to be implemented across the country in a phased manner from November 25.

The home ministry has put forward security conditions on Telcordia, and these are similar to those which telecom vendors importing software and hardware equipment have to follow. Consequently, Telcordia would have to deposit its software and hardware code in a government-controlled escrow account.

The company’s case had seen delay because of security reasons, since the company operates in Pakistan as well. Earlier, the US national security advisor had met Home Minister P Chidambaram and apprised him that Telcordia’s operations in Pakistan are in the nature of providing vendor services, which are quite different from what the company plans to do in India.

The country has been split into two zones for managing MNP. Syniverse Technologies India and MNP Interconnection, a joint venture between US-based Telcordia Technologies and Deepak Talwar Consultants, would act as the clearing houses in the respective zones to manage porting activities.