New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) assured customers on Friday, in a press release, that they will not be charged for having multiple SIM cards.
The TRAI said that some media houses (print, electronic, and social media) have reported that TRAI has proposed introducing fees for mobile and landline numbers, with aim to ensure the efficient allocation and use of these ‘finite resources. The speculation that TRAI intends to impose charges on customers for holding multiple SIMs/numbering resources is unequivocally false. Such claims are unfounded and serve only to mislead the public, assured TRAI.
TRAI released a consultation paper on ‘Revision of National Numbering Plan’ on 06th June 2024 seeking stakeholder comments by July 4, 2024, and counter-comments by July 18, 2024.
The DoT being the sole custodian of telecommunication identifiers (TI) resources, had approached TRAI through its reference dated 29 September 2022, seeking recommendations of TRAI on revised National Numbering Plan for undertaking efficient management and judicious utilization of numbering resources in the country.
Accordingly, the consultation paper of TRAI aims to assess factors affecting the allocation and utilization of TI resources and propose amendments for efficient allocation and utilization. TRAI’s consultation process is transparent and inclusive, involving stakeholder comments, analysis of international best practices, and open-house discussions.
The final recommendations to DoT are based on due diligence and analysis. TRAI advocates for minimum regulatory intervention and self-regulation of market forces and condemns misleading information about the consultation paper.
