Kickstarting the process to introduce mobile number portability, telecom regulator Trai will soon set up a steering committee of operators, industry associations and telecom engineering centres.

"The steering committee, under the aegis of Trai, will address issues involved in the implementation of MNP with a special reference to the methodology, establishing a neutral third party for database management, level of centralisation of database in terms of national v/s regional set up, time frame of implementation and others," Trai said in a statement.

Mobile number portability (MNP) enables the users to retain their telephone numbers when they change the service provider.

The committee would also discuss issues relating to time taken for porting a number and porting fees.

The government had announced last month to introduce MNP in phase-I in the four metros -- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai -- by the fourth quarter of 2008, TRAI said, adding that introduction of the system for 'A' circles would be reviewed in April, 2008.

Immediately after the announcement of the government decision, GSM-based mobile operators had opposed the move demanding that it should be implemented simultaneously across all services and circles.

According to Trai, MNP requires the originating network to determine the correct destination for a given number and this would require a data base management having information of the networks and associated ported numbers.

Majority of the countries opt for a centralised database service managed by a neutral third party and the cost of database is to be borne by each operator depending on the strength of subscribers.

There has to be an arrangement for centralised clearing house preferably electronic approach for processing porting requests, Trai said.

The other related issues are handset portability (GSM or CDMA), database update, SMS routing, routing of STD and ISD calls and national numbering plan modification.

"The roadmap to MNP requires cooperation of all the stakeholders," the regulator said, adding that in order to chart out the roadmap for effective and smooth implementation of MNP and to deliberate on various relevant issue it has been decided to set up a committee of all stakeholders.