Trai extends Nov 11 mobile number portability deadline due to tech issues

Telecom regulator Trai on Monday postponed the implementation of revised MNP process, earlier scheduled to come into effect on November 11, as it cited "technical issues" at the telcos' and porting service providers' end and emphasised on the need for full robust testing prior to migration.

Trai said fresh date will be notified in due course and that the porting of mobile numbers will, for now, continue in accordance with the existing process without being affected during November 4-10.

The regulator said it is imperative that robust testing should be completed successfully before migration to the new process so that the subscribers are not inconvenienced due to any system-related issues.

The revamped mobile number portability (MNP) or port-out rules aim to makes the entire process faster and simpler, and Trai has prescribed two days' timeline for port-out requests within a service area, cutting the migration process from seven days.

The regulator had issued latest changes in mobile number portability's regulations in December 2018. As per these regulations and subsequent notifications, the revised MNP process was scheduled to come into force from November 11.

"However, it was observed that earlier-indicated timelines cannot be adhered to due to some technical issues at the end of telecom operators and MNP service providers," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said.

Accordingly, it said the date of implementation of the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability (Seventh Amendment) Regulations, 2018, "needs to be postponed".

"The exact date will be notified in due course of time. The porting of mobile numbers will, therefore, continue in accordance with the existing MNP process and will not be affected during 4th to 10th November 2019," Trai said in a statement.