Mobile Number Portability: Check new rules, eligibility and how to port number

New Delhi, Dec 16: Planning to port your number to a new service provider? Well, Telecom regulator TRAI has issued a new set of guidelines that will be applicable from today, 16 December.

With the new regulations, MNP requests within the same Localized Service Areas (LSA) of telcos would get completed in three working days.

For requests from one LSA to another, the process would take just 5 working days. Earlier, both these processes took at least 7 working days, leaving a cross-section of port-out customers unhappy and frustrated with having to stick to the same operator.

However, the duration will remain the same for certain areas like Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and North-East service areas.

The telecom regulator has said that the UPC will be generated only if a customer is eligible.

How to generate Unique Porting Code or UPC?

• UPC is generated when customers request for mobile number portability.
• For this, you need to SMS the word 'PORT' followed by a space and the ten-digit mobile number which is to be ported, to 1900.
• You will receive UPC through SMS, which will be valid for four days for all LSAs.
• In Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and North East LSAs, the UPC will be valid for 30 days.
• You will get the new SIM after filling the Customer Acquisition Form (CAF) at the nearest customer service centre of the respective operator.

Eligibility criteria

• The post-paid mobile customers will have to clear 'outstanding dues' towards the existing telecom service provider for the issued bills as per the normal billing cycle.
• Activation in the present operator's network is not less than 90 days.
• Request for change of ownership of mobile number is not in process.
• There are no pending contractual obligations to be fulfilled by the user.
• The porting of the mobile number is not prohibited by the court of law.
• The mobile number sought to be ported is not sub-judice.

Trai Rules for Various Users Individual Users:

• For individual users, the porting request shall not be rejected until the validity of UPC.
• Corporate mobile number users have to submit a valid authorisation letter issued by the company for porting a number.
• Customers can withdraw their porting request by sending SMS - 'CANCEL', followed by a space and the ten-digit mobile number to 1900.

Will there be service disruption?

The charges for each porting request is Rs 6.46. There will be a disruption of service of around four hours during the night time of the date of porting, as per TRAI.