The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has imposed a new mobile number porting (MNP) rule. Users will have to wait 7 days after getting a new physical SIM if they wish to port to a new operator. The new rule comes into effect from today i.e. July 1 and aims to prevent SIM swap frauds in the country.
TRAI 7-Day Waiting Period for MNP Explained
Under TRAI’s new rule, any user with a new physical SIM cannot port to a new operator within 7 days. This applies to cases where a user opts for a new physical SIM card when their old SIM was damaged, stolen, or misplaced.
Once the 7-day cooling period with the new SIM is completed, a port request can easily be created and the number can be shifted to any operator in India under standard MNP rules.
The main purpose of this new rule is to prevent fraudulent SIM swaps. When a new SIM card is bought, it can be an easy target for fraudsters. Information from the serial number mentioned on the new SIM packet can be misused to create fake SIM swaps. There can be many potential reasons behind targeting users with a new physical SIM card.
TRAI’s 7-day cooling period rule was announced in March 2024. There were several discussions to decide the waiting time between 7 days and 10 days. The regulator has now fixed the cooldown time to 7 days, and the policy is already in effect at the time of publishing this article.
In related news, TRAI is also working to reduce the number of spam calls and messages in the country. The government-owned body has issued several guidelines to obtain proper consent from users before sending them any promotional messages. TRAI has also fined Airtel and Vi for failing to comply with spam-related guidelines.
