Have smartphone? Failed to port? Your telco to be fined Rs 10,000

Telecom regulator on Tuesday proposed financial disincentives of up to Rs 10,000 for service providers for rejection of mobile number portability (MNP) requests on unjust reasons. MNP allows mobile users to change their service providers without changing their numbers.

“In order to discourage the wrongful rejections of the porting requests and adherence to the timelines specified for the various tasks, the provisions of financial disincentives have been made,” Telecom Regulatory of India (Trai) said.

Cellular Operators Association of India said in a statement that penalties are extremely blunt instruments to ensure compliance while calling for a partnered approach with Trai to ensure goals are met and difficulties ironed out. 

“We believe MNP demand has peaked after the closure of Aircel, Telenor and Reliance Communications,” COAI said.

“If any access provider contravenes the provisions of regulation 6A and regulation 12' be liable to pay an amount' not exceeding Rs 10,000 for each wrongful rejection of the request for porting,” Trai said.

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For violation of some of the other norms, a penalty of Rs 5,000 has been proposed.

Source: DNA Money