India’s National Telecom Backbone and Pan India 3G mobile service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) today said that it will discontinue mobile services for prepaid customers on numbers that have no usage i.e., no Voice Calls (Incoming or Outgoing), SMS & Data for any continuous period of 90 days.
Prior Vodafone India and Bharti Airtel has also made it mandatory with 60 days disconnection norm for all inactive prepaid mobile numbers as earlier we shared on TelecomTalk.
Don’t Worry If You Are Abroad 
To facilitate BSNL prepaid customers going ABROAD or out of circles, who cannot maintain active status of their BSNL Prepaid Mobile Number continuously for a certain period, they may send SMS with key word, “KEEP CONNECTED FROM (dd-mm-yyyy) TO (dd-mm-yyyy) )” to 53733 to avoid disconnection.
According to BSNL’s statement this guideline has been implemented in the national security point of view and Department of Telecom’s (DoT) stringent guideline for allocation of new number series based on subscribers in VLR has created acute shortage of mobile numbers, for any telecom /mobile service provider company.
BSNL’s all new prepaid 2G and 3G customers will be intimated of the deactivation process in their starter kits while existing customers will be informed via SMS and outbound calls wherever possible.
dr m vidya kumar April 26, 2013 at 7:22 pm
i am going abroad for about 6 months and have a prepaid BSNL mobile phone,new saral plan,could pl suggest what to do to keep the same number.
thanking you
Abraham Paul January 19, 2012 at 4:33 pm
With such tariff plans that fit into the pockets of all category of users BSNL is slowly getting in the business groove of developing user volume and thereby better business viability.
Regarding the need of revamping prepaid systems: Please read my Technical note on IN Prepaid-paid Telephone System and Capacity planning.
I am still not happy about BSNL asking people on travel abroad to send SMS as the phones are mostly left back home and hence this is impractical. BSNL could have given a toll free number to contact or an e-mail ID to send do not disconnect request.
Abraham Paul January 19, 2012 at 4:25 pm
With such tariff plans that fit into the pockets of all category of usersm BSNL is slowly getting in the groove of developing business volume and thereby better enable better business viability.
Regarding the need of revamping prepaid systems: Please read my Technical note on IN Prepaid-paid Telephone System and Capacity planning.
I am still not happy about BSNL asking people on travel abroad to send SMS as the phones are mostly left back home and hence this is impractical. BSNL could have given a toll free number to contact or an e-mail ID to send do not disconnect request.
Keshav Jha January 4, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Good, very good…
dskushwaha January 4, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Lifetime doesn’t mean that the number allotted to a customer will never be given to any other person if it is found that the number was not in use for more than 30/50/200 years. If it is so then after some years (say in 2020 or 2030) you will get a mobile number with 20 digit instead of 10 digit at present. And in 2050 it will be of 30 digit.
To avoid this situation operators have come with a solution and not with a problem. Only a genuine customer will be continued to use that number and others will be disconnected.
However it may be problem to many like people who have to go to J&K from other parts and vice verse. Their prepaid number remains out of coverage area as roaming on prepaid is barred by Govt. Similarly people of cities may not find signal of pvt operators in thinly populated areas like Arunanchal, Nagaland etc. If they remain out of their home zone for long period, they may face disconnection. To avoid that BSNL has come with a solution of sending SMS (as stated in the article).
The procedure given for the people going abroad must apply for the people who remain not in the service zone for some specified period. BSNL (or any other operator) don’t have a device to find out that you are still in India and not in abroad (if you have removed your SIM from mobile handset).
dinesh January 4, 2012 at 1:30 pm
@Saptarshi Roy
all you need to do is make one single call to any number within 90days time and you can forget your number for 89 more days
arvind January 4, 2012 at 11:23 am
all companies play a own game why ?
in era of life time company says 100 rs 1n 180 days then why companies goes to new
deactive scheme
everybody knows that purchase 2 or more sim then
initially company want maximum no of customer then complete a target gives a new restriction
bloodyfool everything is wrong
madhav January 4, 2012 at 10:05 am
This is essential for BSNL to get real customer.
Ankush January 4, 2012 at 9:49 am
What abt J&K where prepaid roaming is not available? Hw i can retain the number as i cant send d sms? Plz get the necessary info plz…
P. Abraham Paul January 4, 2012 at 8:42 am
The length of inactive period should be made 180 days instead of 90 at least in the first instance of implementation. Otherwise it is hash on elderly people who are already visiting their children abroad on 6 months visa.
For example myself and wife are in Australia on a 6 months Visa. Both of us have BSNL prepaid phones. We cannot send SMS as the SIMs are inactive here.
Adopt Universal numbering plan as given in the note in the following link http://wp.me/p1ZsI2-t
BSNL will have enough buffer in the numbering scheme if they adopt Universal numbering plan as suggested by me in this note.
M@yur January 4, 2012 at 7:35 am
Good initiative…
Saptarshi Roy January 4, 2012 at 3:35 am
What if I am in India in a different state/telecom circle for more than 90 days and chose to use a local mobile network provider to save on roaming costs? Does the concept of ‘being abroad’ still apply?
Rohan Singh January 3, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Wao BSNL cares for travellers too ..
sAm January 3, 2012 at 10:30 pm
At Last a brilliant move from BSNL.. Hope others follow the same thing..
Abhijith January 3, 2012 at 7:46 pm
Nice move . .
Ravi January 3, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Good..
D.SUBHASH January 3, 2012 at 7:36 pm
IT’S A VERY GOOD STEP TAKEN BY BSNL.
THE EXACT FIGURE OF WORKING CONNECTIONS
GIVES THE NORMS FOR JUSTIFICATION OF
STAFF TO BE RETAINED IN THAT ORGANISATION
BEFORE GOING TO IMPLEMENT VRS/CRS.
D.SUBHASH
krishnendu January 3, 2012 at 6:50 pm
yes,very good move!just hope they dont disconnect active numbers by mistake!
dskushwaha January 3, 2012 at 6:02 pm
This is really the good news….
Listening! Vodafone and Airtel?
DB January 3, 2012 at 5:36 pm
@ FO
@Foxy
@ FOXY … connections are meant to be used, not hoarded. Anyone who keeps SIM cards switched off for 60 continuious days obviously doesnt need the SIM/mobile number
>>3RD CLASS MOVE/
WHY DID U GIVE CONNECTIONS
Ahamed January 3, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Hope all operators would follow DOT directions. It would definitely help to get the correct picture of Indian Telecom Scenario. Boosted false statistics are no doubt the masks of grey marketters
Foxy January 3, 2012 at 4:41 pm
3RD CLASS MOVE/
WHY DID U GIVE CONNECTIONS
Ajay January 3, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Very good initiative…