MNP charges may come down by 80%

Telecom regulator Trai on Monday started consultation process to bring down mobile number portability charges from to Rs 4 from Rs 19 levied currently.

This means the charges will come down by 80%, if finalised.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said in a statement that considering the upsurge in the volume of porting requests with effect from July 3, 2015, and the financial results of both the mobile number portability service providers (MNPSPs), the present ceiling of Rs 19 is quite high as compared to cost and volumes of transaction involved.

“The Authority has, therefore, decided that the upper ceiling for per port transaction charge may be reduced as the costs of operations of MNPSPs have substantially gone down,” Trai said.

It has asked for comments to reduce— per port transaction charges— to Rs 4 from Rs 19. Per port transaction charge is paid by the telecom operator, where the subscriber is willing to port his number, to the mobile number portability service provider.

The draft regulation does not clearly mention about the porting charge which is payable by the subscribers. In its earlier regulations, the regulator had said the amount to be paid by the subscriber cannot be more than the per port transaction charge. Hence, currently, porting charge is also Rs 19.

The draft amendment of the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Per Port Transaction Charge and Dipping Charge Regulations has proposed that “the Per Port Transaction charge shall be rupees four”.