Mobile phone users will soon be able to keep their current number even after they switch from one operator to another as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday approved a guideline for it.

Called the Mobile Number Portability or MNP, the service will bring competition to the market and push it to maturity, according to telecom experts.

The service will empower the country's mobile users, said Tarana Halim, state minister for telecom, adding discussions will be started soon with the operators.

The service will most definitely be introduced in the next 3-4 months, she said.

Mobile operators had a mixed reaction to the news.

MNP is a much-awaited issue in Bangladesh, with its discussions dating as far back as 2008. The parliamentary standing committee on the telecom ministry too recommended the roll-out of the service several times.

As per an earlier draft of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, an auction will be held to give out the MNP licence.

None of the current mobile operators will be allowed to participate in the auction. Fully owned foreign companies too are barred from participation.

The winning company will pay the government a one-time fee of Tk 3 crore and annual fees of Tk 50 lakh. The licence's tenure will be for 15 years and from the second year, 5.5 percent of the revenues will have to be shared with the government.

Mobile subscribers will be able to get the service for a charge of no more than Tk 50. They will be able to opt-in to the service through a text message, web application or retail service outlets, according to the BTRC.

At present, more than 70 countries have MNP.