In a bid to intensify the healthy competition in the world’s fastest growing telecom market with the improved QoS at lower call charges, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today fixed Rs.19 for the Mobile Number Portability Per Port Transaction Charge. The Indian telecom regulator also announced Dipping Charges for the upcoming Mobile Number Portability.
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) allows the Mobile service subscribers to retain their existing mobile number when they move from one Service Provider to another Service Provider with in a same licensed service area. This move is irrespective of the mobile technology or from one cellular mobile technology to another of the same access provider, in a licensed service area. In other words, the Mobile Service Subscriber can switch from CDMA to GSM as well as GSM to CDMA.The facility of retention of existing mobile number despite moving to a new telecom/Mobile service provider helps in increasing competition between the service providers and acts as a catalyst for the service providers to improve their quality of service.
According to the TRAI the ‘Per Port Transaction charge’ means the charge payable by the Recipient Operator (the operator, where the subscriber is willing to port his number), to the Mobile Number Portability Service Provider for processing the porting request of a mobile number. The ‘Dipping charge’ means the charge payable by an Access Provider or an International Long Distance Operator, to the Mobile Number Portability Service provider for dipping of each message;
MNP charges Paid By the Subscribers:-
The Per Port Transaction charge shall be Rs.19 only and The Dipping charge is left to mutual negotiation between the telecom service providers and the respective MNP service providers. TRAI also cleared that the Porting charge amount to be paid by the subscriber shall not be more than the per port transaction charge Rs 19. The operators are free to charge any amount less than or equal to this charge.
These charges shall come into force on the 31st day of December, 2009.
