New rules for replacing SIM cards as part of porting mobile phone numbers from July 1

New Delhi:

Telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has said that changes in the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) rules will come into effect from July 1 to check SIM swap and exchange frauds.

“On March 14, 2024, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued the Mobile Number Portability (Ninth Amendment) Rules, 2024, which will come into effect from July 1, 2024,” it added in a statement issued by the regulator.

As per TRAI, SIM replacement or swapping means the process of acquiring a new SIM card in place of a lost or non-functioning SIM card by an existing subscriber.

As per TRAI rules, users can also opt for Mobile Number Portability (MNP), which allows them to retain their mobile number when they move from one access provider to another access provider in a country.

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With a view to streamlining the MNP process from time to time, the Telecommunications Portability of Mobile Numbers Regulations 2009 has been amended eight times in the past.

TRAI has also decided to introduce an additional criterion for rejection of an application for allotment of Unique Porting Code through these amendment regulations. It further mandates that UPC shall not be allotted if the application for UPC is made before expiry of seven days from the date of SIM card replacement or mobile number replacement, which was earlier ten days.

In an explanatory note, the telecommunications regulator said that while some stakeholders believed that a 10-day waiting period after replacing or replacing a SIM card was appropriate, others argued that a shorter waiting period, such as two to four days, would be more reasonable and that the 10-day waiting period may cause inconvenience to subscribers, especially in the event of an urgent transfer.

“These amendment provisions are aimed at curbing portability of mobile numbers through fraudulent substitution or exchange of SIM cards by dishonest entities,” TRAI added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated channel.)

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