TRAI releases pre-consultation paper for pan-India mobile number portability
TRAI seeks views of the stakeholders on the methods to be adopted for the implementation of the pan-India mobile number portability.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has commenced procedures for the implementation of the nation-wide mobile number portability. The regulator has released consultation process to seek views from stakeholders on the pan-India MNP services.
“In order to implement Full Mobile Number Portability, issues relating to processing of porting requests, routing, charging, testing etc needed to be identified and addressed. Through this pre-consultation paper, the Authority is seeking views from stakeholders on various issues like optimum method of implementing Inter-service area porting, amendments required in the existing licence conditions of the MNP service licence, generation of UPC by roaming subscriber, modifications required in the MNP regulations etc,” says the regulator in its press release.
The regulator has asked the stakeholders and other interested parties to submit their views by March 7.
The pan-India mobile number portability was one of the top elements of the National Telecom Policy 2012. The government has been working to ensure timely implementation of the NTP 2012, and aims to launch the pan-India MNP services at the earliest.
However, the pan-India MNP services roll out seems to be behind schedule as Union minister Kapil Sibal in December had said the facility was most likely to be made available by February 2013.
Besides nation-wide MNP facility, the government is also going to abolish roaming charges as per the NTP 2012. However, the telecom operators have been critical of the move to abolish roaming charges as it could cause them a loss of about Rs. 13,500 crore in revenue.