TRAI issues notices to operators for violating norms
August 17th, 2011 - 9:00 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) The telecom regulator has issued notices to some leading operators for violating mobile number portability regulations by overcharging and preventing the customers from changing their service provider, the telecom ministry said Wednesday.
The operators are Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Loop, Reliance Communications and Vodafone.
“Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has initiated action by issuing show cause notices to service providers for violation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Regulations 2009 and the same will follow due process,” said Milind Deora, Minister of State for Communications and IT, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
TRAI has received complains from some customers regarding wrong rejection of porting requests by telecom operators. The ministry said that it also came to know that customers have been charged Rs.10 for a message for requesting porting code through number 1900.
The mobile number portability service which allows customers to switch operators while retaining numbers was launched across the country on Jan 20.
TRAI had issued direction on Dec 2, 2010 to all Cellular Mobile Telephone Service Providers and Unified Access Service Providers prohibiting extra charges for messages sent to short code ‘1900′.
In order to reduce the porting rejections by the service providers, TRAI had also issued direction to the operators on May 24, 2011 specifying that rejection under contractual obligation can be done only if the post-paid connection comes with bundled handset with contractual obligation having exit clause and the subscriber has not complied with the same.
It also added the criteria of a corporate connection with contractual obligation having an exit clause and when the subscriber has not complied with the same.
Regarding outstanding payment it specified that if the due from the subscriber, in the previous paid bill, is less than Rs.10, then the service provider may include the same in the subsequent bill of the subscriber without any penal charges.
- Stick to porting rules, TRAI tells Vodafone - Nov 04, 2011
- Can't stall number porting for dues of less than Rs.10: TRAI - May 25, 2011
- Over 38 lakh users opt for mobile number portability - Mar 09, 2011
- Idea Cellular biggest gainer of mobile number portability - May 06, 2012
- Over 2.3 lakh MNP requests turned down in Delhi till July - Aug 19, 2011
- TRAI rules out compensation for number portability - Dec 03, 2010
- Court issues summons to telecom firms over number portability - Mar 21, 2012
- 32.79 mn subscribers opt for mobile number portability - Mar 06, 2012
- Telecom market dominated by older players, users wont get affected: TRAI - Feb 02, 2012
- 25.84 mn subscribers opt for mobile number portability - Jan 09, 2012
- 29.24 mn subscribers opt for mobile number portability - Jan 30, 2012
- Idea Cellular gains maximum via mobile number portability - Nov 30, 2011
- Over 180.59 lakh opt for mobile number portability - Oct 20, 2011
- Customers to pay Rs.1 more on every mobile recharge above Rs.20 - Apr 19, 2012
- MNP likely to see more takers following SC ruling - Feb 02, 2012
Tags: access service, contractual obligation, due process, idea cellular, Lok Sabha, minister of state, mnp, mobile number, mobile telephone, New Delhi, norms, number portability, rejection, rejections, telecom ministry, telecom operators, telecom regulator, telecom regulatory authority, telecom regulatory authority of india, telephone service providers