TRAI amends regulation to facilitate Pan-India Mobile Number Portability

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 25 February 2015 has amended regulation to allow Pan-India Mobile Number Portability (MNP).
In this regard, TRAI has issued 6th amendment to the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Regulation, 2009. It will come into effect from 3rd May 2015.
Key facts

• MNP enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another.
• At present, MNP norms allow users to retain their numbers while changing their operators within the same service area or telecom circle, which in most cases, is limited to a particular State.
• The new amended rule will allow mobile telephone users to retain their numbers by changing their operators in different telecom circles which in this case is different states across country i.e. Pan-India MNP.

Background
Earlier in November 2014, the Department of Telecom (DoT) had issued an amendments to MNP licence agreement. In this amended agreement, DoT had stated that MNP should be implemented Pan-India within a period of six months from the date of amendment of the licences.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2015