From May 3, subscribers will be able to retain the same mobile number on relocating to anywhere in India. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India amended the mobile number portability (MNP) regulations on Wednesday to allow users to change their service provider in any part of the country while retaining the number.

At present, number portability within a telecom circle is possible. To carry a number outside the home circle, a subscriber pays roaming charges plus applicable STD call rates.

“The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has issued the sixth > amendment to the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Regulation, 2009, which will facilitate Full MNP [nationwide portability] with effect from May 3,” the regulator said in a statement.

The subscriber base reached an all-time high of 97 crore at the end of December 2014, as per the latest report by TRAI. Of these, 94 crore were wireless subscribers and the rest were wireline subscribers. During the month, about 35 lakh subscribers submitted requests for changing their mobile service provider, taking the total number of such requests under the MNP service to 14.29 crore.