TRAI fixes mobile number portability charges

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has rolled out regulations to determine the charges applicable for the implementation of mobile number portability (MNP) in India. It has issued the MNP ‘Per port transaction charge’ and ‘Dipping charge regulation 2009’ as well as the Telecommunication Tariff Order 2009.
The per port transaction charge is the charge payable by the recipient operator (operator to whom the number is being ported or transferred) to the MNP service provider, who will process the Porting request. The dipping charge is the charge payable by an operator to the MNP service provider for dipping of each message. The porting charge is payable by the subscriber to the recipient operator for porting his mobile number.
As per the TRAI press statement, the regulator has set the per port transaction charge at Rs 19, the dipping charge is left to mutual negotiation between the operators and MNP providers. The porting charge, payable by the mobile subscriber, has also been fixed at Rs 19. However, the operators have the liberty to charge any amount less than or equal to the porting charge. These charges will come into effect from December 31.
TRAI also states that it has determined these charges after doing an analysis of the stakeholders’ comments and the cost details given by the MNP providers.
The regulator had announced in September that MNP shall be implemented from December 31 in metros, and by March 20, 2010 in the rest of India. It had also announced several guidelines for the implementation of MNP in the country.
MNP allows subscribers to retain their existing mobile phone when they move from one mobile service provider to another irrespective of the mobile technology, or from one mobile technology to another, in a licensed service area.