Telecom News --

TRAI determines the various charges for Mobile Number Portability

• The Per Port Transaction charge shall be Rs.19/-(Rs Nineteen only).
  
  
• The Dipping charge is left to mutual negotiation between the telecom service providers and the respective MNP service providers.
  
  
• Porting charge i.e. the amount to be paid by the subscriber shall not be more than the per port transaction charge i.e. 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.

New Delhi, November 20, 2009: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today issued the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Per Port Transaction Charge and Dipping Charge Regulations, 2009 (9 of 2009) and the Telecommunication Tariff (Forty-Ninth Amendment) Order, 2009, fixing the various charges for Mobile Number Portability.

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) allows the subscribers to retain their existing mobile telephone number when they move from one Access Provider to another irrespective of the mobile technology or from one cellular mobile technology to another of the same Access Provider, in a licensed service area. The facility of retention of existing mobile telephone number despite moving to a new telecom 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.

It may be recalled that earlier the Authority, on 23rd September, 2009 had issued the Telecommunications Mobile Number Portability Regulations, 2009(8 of 2009), detailing the procedure for porting, the rights and obligations of various entities involved and time limits for carrying out the Mobile Number Portability. These Regulations provides three types of charges viz. Per Port Transaction Charge, Dipping Charge and Porting Charge. They are:-

• ‘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.
  
  
• ‘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;
  
  
• ‘Porting charge’ means such charge as may be payable by the subscriber to the Recipient Operator, for porting his mobile number.

For determination of these charges, a consultation paper on ‘Per Port Transaction Charge, Dipping Charge and Porting Charge’ was issued by TRAI on 22nd July 2009 for the comments of the stakeholders. Subsequently, an Open House Discussion (OHD) was held on 11th August, 2009. After analysis of the stakeholders’ comments and the cost details furnished by the MNP service providers, TRAI has determined these charges.

The Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Per Port Transaction Charge and Dipping Charge Regulations, 2009 and the Telecommunication Tariff (Forty-Ninth Amendment) Order, 2009 are available at TRAI website www.trai.gov.in

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