Press Trust of India, New Delhi, March 30: The government will take action against telecom operators if they miss the May 3 deadline for rolling out the full mobile number portability, a top official said Monday.
“We have given them (telecom operators) sufficient time of six months. This is not the first time MNP is starting in the country. We are only extending (it) to pan-India. If they miss deadline then whatever action is there under law will take its own course,” telecom secretary Rakesh Garg told PTI.
At present, mobile number portability (MNP) allows subscribers to change mobile network while retaining their number in same telecom circles.
The full MNP will allow subscribers to retain their mobile number in any part of the country even if they change their operator or shift from one city
to another.
Industry body the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) had said last week that telecom operators might not be able to meet the May 3 deadline due to some technical and coordination issues that they were facing as well as due to delay in notifying rule of full MNP by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The COAI has requested the DoT to form a committee that can coordinate between private telecom players and public sector companies, BSNL and MTNL, for conducting networks tests in time to facilitate full MNP.
Garg said that there is no need of any separate committee in this regard.
The Telecom secretary also shared that government Monday extended pre-paid services in Jammu and Kashmir as well as north east for period of next two years.
Spectrum sharing, trading norms in 3 months
The government is expected to finalise most-awaited spectrum sharing and trading guidelines in three months, Rakesh Garg said Monday.
“Spectrum sharing and trading guidelines are now one of the key things in our agenda. The TRAI has already given its recommendations. In next three months we will be in a position to give out spectrum sharing and trading guidelines,” Garg told PTI in an interview.
He said that the department of telecom has almost finalised new penalty rules which should be out in one-and- a-half months.
Govt to act if telcos miss full MNP deadline
