TRAI orders telcos to not cancel MNP port out requests

Mobile Number Portability, or MNP, as it is popularly referred to, although has been one of the most appreciated moves by the telecom industry, has also been the one with numerous hiccups. Ever since its grand launch, early last year, MNP has been seeing itself marred by controversies, one after the other. In an official statement, the Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI) revealed that since its launch, it has been observed that the "percentage of rejections of the porting requests of subscriber is very high." The body has further revealed that several donor operators (the operator you're currently associated with, and want to quit) were found to be rejecting several porting requests by taking in cancellation requests, either in a written form, or through an SMS or a voice call from the subscriber, which it further revealed was illegal, since, there is no such provision in the regulations that allow a donor operator to accept withdrawal or cancellation of porting requests, which it receives from a subscriber.

Porting worries! (Image credit: Getty Images)

It therefore, with an aim to ensure that all the terms and conditions of MNP are complied with has directed all telcos, who're "acting as Donor Operator, not to entertain any request from the subscriber for the cancellation or withdrawal of porting request and not to request a porting request except on the grounds mentioned under regulation 12 of the regulations." TRAI has in the official statement also made it clear that the service providers can "issue necessary instructions to all the concerned officials within Forty eight hours and submit compliance report of this Direction to the Authority within seven days."

The Mobile Number Portability service was flagged off amidst much fanfare, early last year. The service gained immediate popularity because it gave subscribers a chance to move out of their existing service provider, if they were unhappy with the service, onto a new service provider without having to forego their number. With power in their hands, subscribers no longer found themselves tied to their providers, whom they were unhappy with.