Number Portability: Trai Pulls Up Vodafone

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[<p>Vodafone Ltd has been pulled up by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). The company has been asked not to create hurdles for its subscribers who want to switch to another operator. The mobile number portability regulations allow the mobile subscriber to change the service provider without changing number.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br><br>Trai on Friday sent a letter to Vodafone Ltd chief Marten Pieters, directing the company to immediately port its customers. Asking Vodafone to submit to Trai the action taken within a week on its directions, the letter stated, that reasons, cited by the company for restricting its customers from moving to another operator with the same number was not justified.<br><br>The telecom operator had informed Trai that its customers had contractual obligation and that prevented them from porting with another operator. While customers who had appealed to Trai said that there was no such agreement, preventing them from porting. <br><br>The letter to Vodafone from the regulator states that Trai found that when complaints were forwarded to Vodafone, such customers were allowed to be ported out. Therefore, such rejection of the ground of contractual obligation by Vodafone is not in compliance. <br><br>Trai reminded Vodafone that its earlier order specifically mentions how to deal with contractual obligation. The regulator had stated in its earlier order that telecom operators should not reject MNP request if the amount of subscriber due is less than Rs 10.</p>