DoT wants monitoring of MNP mechanism

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) wants operators to make their network accessible to Lawful Interception and Monitoring (LIM) for the security agencies after they switch to mobile number portability (MNP) mechanism next month-end. DoT is likely to issue directives soon to all the telecom licencees on putting the subscribers under the LIM even before MNP is activated in the system.

MNP is a system that enables the subscribers to retain the old number even after the user switches service providers, a DoT internal note said. DoT would provide a copy of the Mobile Clearing House (the server on which all the ported numbers and those which are in the process to be ported) to the Ministry of Home Affairs regularly to keep agencies updated on the switch of operators. This would help the agencies to track and trail any particular target number. In the case of a need, they can approach the operator to release the entire call details even as the number remains the same after switching the operator. India will introduce mobile number portability on December 31 in metros. MNP will be introduced in two phases — first in the metro cities and the so-called Category-A telecom zones, and in other areas by March 20.

The regulator, Trai has notified certain charges associated with MNP and said switching charges for users must not exceed Rs 19. To track terror plots faster, the government also proposes to set up a centralised system to monitor communications on mobiles, landline phones and internet. A pilot project of the central monitoring system (CMS) is likely to be launched by June 2010, subject to clearance by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, Minister of State for Telecom Gurudas Kamat had said. The CMS is envisaged to be implemented by the DoT to strengthen the security environment in the country. In the existing system, secrecy can be compromised because of manual intervention at many stages.