TRAI for permitting usage of special characters

New Delhi, Apr 13 (UNI) The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today issued its recommendations for permitting usage of star (*) and hash (#) keys in provisioning of value added intra-network services like USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) by Access Providers.

The Access Providers are using these special characters * and # in provision of value added Intra-network services like USSD wherein the subscriber of a network uses these special characters not at the time of dialing, but subsequently once he has entered their network for uses of supplementary services.

The TRAI said the National Numbering Plan (NNP) 2003 is silent about the usage of these special characters in provisioning of intra-network value added services.

Based on the Access Providers comments and keeping in view the interest of consumers, TRAI recommended that relevant provisions of NNP-2003, viz clause 1.6 of Introduction Part and Numbers for Special Services described in Annex IV, be elaborated and clarified so that the usage of special characters, * and #, is explicitly allowed in provisioning of intra-network value added services.

UNI RT PV GC1658