Question : VIOLATION OF REGULATIONS BY SERVICE PROVIDERS

(a) the nature and amount of penalty fixed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for the violation of regulations by the telecom service providers under the scheme of Mobile Number Portability in the country;

(b) the details of penalty imposed on telecom companies along with the names of companies;

(c) whether the Government has taken note that consumers are charged for mobile number portability and location portability also;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and

(e) the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) vide Mobile Number Portability (4th amendment) Regulations dated 19th September 2012 has made provision of imposing a financial disincentive not exceeding five thousand rupees for each contravention in case of timeline violations and a financial disincentive not exceeding ten thousand rupees for each wrongful rejection of the request for porting.

(b) The details of the Financial Disincentives imposed by TRAI till date on different Telecom Service Providers as per the provision of said regulations are enclosed in Annexure-I.

(c) & (d) TRAI has specified a maximum of Rs. 19/- as porting charge, which a service provider can take from customer for availing the facility of mobile number portability. However, there is no location portability in force in the country and charging the customers for the same does not arise.

(e) Does not arise in view of above.