Trai may cut mobile number porting cost by 80% to Rs 4 from Rs 19

Trai decided that upper ceiling for per port transaction charge may be reduced as costs of operations of MNPSPs have substantially gone down

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Telecom regulator Trai on Monday started the consultation process to bring down mobile number portability charges to Rs 4 from Rs 19 levied at present.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) in a statement said that considering the upsurge in the volume of porting requests with effect from July 3, 2015, and the financial results of both the mobile number portability service providers (MNPSPs), the present ceiling of Rs 19 is quite high as compared to cost and volumes of transaction involved.

"The Authority has, therefore, decided that the upper ceiling for per port transaction charge may be reduced as the costs of operations of MNPSPs have substantially gone down," Trai said.

The watchdog in the draft amendment of the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Per Port Transaction Charge and Dipping Charge Regulations has proposed that "the Per Port Transaction charge shall be rupees four".

It has sought public comments on the matter by December 4, 2017.