India: The regulator has published draft norms for mobile number portability

[sifybroadband] The telecom regulatory body of India, TRAI has finally released some draft norms for the upcoming implementation of number portability in the Indian market.

Number Portability would enable telecom subscribers in the country to change their service providers without changing their mobile numbers.

This would be a boon for those customers who are stuck with providers providing them terrible services.

Mobile Number Portability is also likely to further drop the rates of mobile services in the market as mobile companies would offer new packages to lure subscribers on rival networks.

Here are some of the features of draft norms:

Mobile users can only change their providers if they are a customer for at least 90 days.
They would need to stay on the new provider for at least 90 days.
The process of changing one’s mobile service provider should not take more than 5 days.
Customers would have to give their requests in a written undertaking.
Customers would be required to pay a fee that is likely to be between Rs. 250-400.

Syniverse Technologies and MNP Interconnect have already been named the companies which would handle the management and implementation of the system. These companies would also be responsible for managing the database of all numbers.

TRAI reveal draft norms for mobile number portability