RCom finalises global number portability contracts

Telecom service provider Reliance Communications is close to awarding a contract for implementation of mobile number portability (MNP) integration across its network to eight global telecom companies. The deal is estimated to be worth Rs 700-800 crore. The eight are Tekelec, HP,  Intec, Huawei, ZTE, Ericsson, Lucent and Radio Telecom. The deal would involve network and information technology infrastructure deployment across RCom's network.
MNP has to be offered to all subscribers in metro cities and Category-A circles by every telecom service provider from January 1, 2010 (and in the rest of the country by March). It would allow mobile users to change their service providers while retaining their numbers.

RCom's MNP implementation would cover its entire network, spanning 24,000 towns and over 600,000 villages. The entire implementation is expected to be completed in two phases. In the first phase, RCom would implement MNP integration across Delhi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka circles. The network testing in these is expected to be completed by the end of December. In the second phase, RCom would implement MNP in rest of the circles by March 2010.

Under the contract, HP would provide the gateway infrastructure for MNP implementation and Tekelec would offer the integration set-up. Tekelec's solution would enable the Reliance network to find out the correct serving operator of the called party and re-route the call correctly. It would also enable RCom in interworking different network applications, technologies and protocols.

UK-based Intec Telecom Systems would cover capacity enhancement and scale-up of RCom's IT infrastructure through its business support system solution (BSS). The BSS solution will manage RCom's billing or revenue stream from end to end. The contract for network core solution required to perform MNP look-up has been awarded jointly to China's Huawei and ZTE, Sweden's Ericsson and France-based Lucent. The solution would ensure All Call Query (ACQ – for routing of calls to correct serving operator) based MNP implementation across RCom's network. UK-based Radio Telecom System will be RCom's IT partner for MNP implementation and maintenance.