TRAI has now revamped the mobile number portability (MNP) process, so that subscribers can make the changes faster, and are screened thoroughly before receiving the Universal Porting Code (UPC).

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has revised the norms for mobile number portability (MNP) services. With these norms, that the regulator expects service providers to implement in six months, consumers who apply to change service providers will be screened before the connection is changed.Under the latest MNP rules, introduced as the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability (Seventh Amendment) Regulations, 2018, if a user considers changing service provider, he/she will have to go through a query response mechanism. This will allow the mobile number portability service provider to access details from the donor operator’s database. Once the verification process is completed, customers will then receive a Unique Porting Code (UPC), that can be considered to complete the porting process.

This, in turn, will allow users within a particular intra-Licensed Service Area (intra-LSA), or telecom circle, to port their number within 2 working days. Those who would be porting their number from one intra-LSA to another can expect MNP to be finished within 4 working days. These time limits, though, will not apply if the user ports from or ports to the Jammu and Kashmir, Assam or North East telecom circles.

The revised TRAI norms mean that users who had to wait for 15 days to port their numbers from one telecom circle to another would greatly benefit. Also, the 4-working-days-limit was initially set for MNP changes made within a telecom circle. Also, this process aims to eliminate the problems of ‘UPC mismatch’ or ‘UPC expiry’ that had been experienced with the older porting regulations. Draft norms of the same had been filed in November, and have been made official following a 60-day review period.

Courtesy by : The Indian Express