Telecom Regulator Suggests No Extra Entry Fee for Full Number Portability Service

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has suggested that full mobile number portability (MNP) service should attract no additional entry fee and bank guarantee from operators.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) had sought the telecom regulator's opinion on issues like additional entry  fee, bank guarantees and clarification on number of players to be involved in the roll out full MNP service in the country.

With regards to entry fee, TRAI said whatever it had suggested in its earlier recommendations should be taken for record, sources said.

TRAI had submitted its recommendations on full mobile number portability on September 25, 2013.

The government in June this year granted in-principle approval to full MNP that allows customers to retain numbers even after switching operator or location.

The Telecom Commission will now consider the recent clarifications from the sectoral regulator and will take a final decision on the matter.

There are two MNP operators in India: Syniverse and MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions India, which is a joint venture between US-based Telcordia Technologies and Indian enterprise DTC.

The government is trying to achieve full MNP by March 2015.

At present, subscribers are allowed to change their service providers while retaining same number within a circle only.