Mobile number portability to become faster, easier: TRAI

Transferring a mobile phone number from one operator is set to become easier and less time-consuming. The TRAI or the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is ready with a new set of draft norms to make mobile portability quicker and simpler. The TRAI aims to make the period of porting to two days. 

At the moment, it takes a maximum of seven working days for a number to be ported and at most, 15 working days in Jammu & Kashmir and North-east India. Another rule is that a subscriber must be with one operator for at least 90 days before switching to another.

Earlier in April, the TRAI issued consultation papers which reviewed the guidelines of mobile number portability or MNP. The consultation paper which was floated on April 6 said that after the discontinuation of wireless access service by some operators like Airtel or Reliance Communications, many subscribers faced difficulty in porting their numbers.

The consultation paper read, "The major issues are non-generation of unique porting code (UPC) by the donor operator or non-receipt of UPC by the subscriber, multiple rejections of porting requests by donor operators on various grounds, instances of fraudulent porting, issuance of interim bills for postpaid subscribers, non-refund of the prepaid balance and security deposits of postpaid subscribers, which create inconvenience and dissatisfaction to the mobile subscribers".

 A senior official at TRAI who wished to remain unnamed, told Livemint that the new draft norms are ready for review. "The draft rules are ready and we will publish them soon to invite public comment. Basically, the new norms aim to reduce the time (to port) and the discretion of the donor operator," the senior official told Livemint.

With the new norms, the TRAI hopes to reduce the powers of mobile operators in porting a mobile number in issuing a porting code or making a mistake and entering a wrong porting code during the time of sale and ensure that the process is smooth.

Once the draft norms are issued, they will be open to public comments for at least four weeks.