The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today issued Draft “The Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Per Port Transaction Charge and Dipping Charge (Amendment) Regulations, 2017”.

TRAI notified “The Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Per Port Transaction Charge and Dipping Charge Regulations, 2009 (9 of 2009)” on 20th November, 2009. As per the principal regulation, TRAI has fixed Rs. 19/- as 'Per Port Transaction Charge' and through notification of the Telecommunication Tariff Order (Forty-Ninth Amendment) Order, 2009 dated 20th November 2009, the Authority prescribed the Per Port Transaction charge Rs. 19/- as ceiling. As per Regulation 6(2) of the Telecommunications Mobile Number Portability per Port Transaction Charge and Dipping Charge Regulations 2009, the Authority may review and modify the Per Port Transaction Charge and Dipping Charge. Considering the upsurge in the volume of porting requests w.e.f. 3rd July, 2015 (when pan India Mobile Number Portability was permitted) and the financial results of both the Mobile Number Portability Service Providers (MNPSPs) for the last two available years, the Authority is of the view that 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.

Hence, Draft “The Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Per Port Transaction Charge and Dipping Charge (Amendment) Regulations, 2017” for consultation is available here. Written comments on the issues raised in the consultation are invited from the stakeholders by 29th December, 2017.