Telecom regulator TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) last week announced changes to MNP (Mobile Number Portability) rules. According to the latest changes, the corresponding mobile number cannot be transferred to another telecom operator within seven days in case of a SIM card replacement or exchange. This is the ninth new change since the introduction of the MNP Regulations. The new rules are aimed at preventing and reducing SIM swap fraud in the country. The new rules will come into effect on July 1.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India published the Telecom Mobile Number Porting (Ninth Amendment) Regulations 2024 last week. Under the new norms, customers will not be allowed to port their mobile number to another telecom operator if they have swapped or swapped SIM cards in the last seven days. These rules are aimed at curbing the practice of fraudulent SIM card transfer or mobile number porting by unscrupulous elements, says the TRAI circular.
An additional criterion has been introduced to reject a request for a Unique Porting Code (UPC) for porting a mobile phone number from one telecom operator to another. TRAI states that if a UPC application is submitted before the expiry of seven days from the date of SIM replacement or mobile number change, the UPC need not be issued.
The latest TRAI regulation will come into effect from July 1. The MNP rules were first introduced in 2009.
The MNP feature allows users to switch service providers without changing their mobile phone number. Boarding can be initiated by sending an SMS to 1900 in the format PORT<10-digit mobile phone number>. It generates a UPC, which the user receives via SMS. It can be used to submit an MNP application.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
