TRAI directs telcos to allow SMSes for porting under any plan

Telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday directed all telcos to “immediately” enable port out SMS facility for all subscribers requiring it, irrespective of value of their tariff offer, vouchers, or plans.

“The Authority, hereby directs 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… irrespective of the value of the tariff offers/vouchers,” the regulator said in a statement.

The sector regulator noted that in the recent past, it has received complaints from subscribers over their inability to send SMS on short code 1900 specified for UPC (Unique Porting Code) generation, for availing mobile number portability facility despite having sufficient balance in their prepaid accounts.

TRAI also said that not providing the facility to all subscribers was “contravention of the provisions of MNP Regulations”.

“The Authority is of the view that this practice of non provision of the facility of sending MNP related SMS in certain pre-paid vouchers/plans is in contravention of the provisions of MNP Regulations, as it takes away the consumer’s right, provided for in the regulations, to avail mobile number portability facility,” TRAI stated.

Telecom majors Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea do not have SMS bundled in their cheap recharge plans, especially prepaid plans starting at Rs 100 or less. BusinessToday