Trai proposes tweaks in MNP rules to curb SIM-swap frauds
MNP) rules as it looks to include safeguards against SIM-swap frauds, it said in a circular Wednesday.
The Telecom Regulatory of India (Trai) has sought stakeholder comments on the Draft Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability (Ninth Amendment) Regulations, 2023, by October 25.
In addition to the existing cautionary measures the telcos are required to take while porting a number from one network to another, they will now need to check if the request is coming from a number that has undergone SIM swap or replacement in the 10 days prior to the request.
If that is the case, then the unique porting code for the request would not be allocated, thus stymying the process of the port-out/in.
“Whether it would be appropriate to introduce an additional criterion for rejection of the request for allocation of Unique Porting Code (UPC) in respect of any mobile connection, which has undergone the process of SIM swap/ replacement/ upgradation? Kindly provide a detailed response with justification,” Trai asked stakeholders.
Another amendment requires the donor operator (the network from which the customer is porting out) to send the demographic details of the customer seeking MNP to the porting operator (the network which the customer is porting to). These details are then to be matched by the porting operator to those provided by the customer while porting into its network.
Industry entities have until October 25 to respond to Trai’s amendments on the MNP process which allows customers to change their network service provider while retaining their existing 10 digit mobile number.
Trai’s recommended amendments come after communication to the effect from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) over the past few months.
