The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 7th December 2021 has directed the Telecom Service Providers to ensure compliance with TRAl’s Regulations/Directions in respect of outgoing SMS facility to porting out customers.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (referred to as “the Authority”), established under subsection (1) of section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, has been entrusted with discharge of certain functions, inter-alia, to regulate telecommunication services; notify the rates at which the telecommunication services within India and outside India shall be provided; to protect the interests of the service providers and consumers of the telecom sector.
The Authority in its earlier notification, directed cellular mobile telephone service providers and unified access service providers to treat the SMS sent to short code number 1900 as ordinary SMS for the purpose of charging and the rate for such SMS shall not exceed the tariff applicable for ordinary SMS under the tariff plan opted by the subscriber.
However, based on the complaints received from the subscribers, for not being able to send SMS on short code 1900, specified for UPC generation for availing MNP facility despite having sufficient balance in their prepaid account, the Authority through this notification has directed all access service providers to enable, with immediate effect, for all mobile subscribers, both prepaid and postpaid, requesting for a unique porting code, the facility to send SMS on short code 1900, in order to exercise their right to avail porting facility in accordance with the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Regulations, 2009 (8 of 2009}, irrespective of the value of the tariff offers/vouchers.
