New SIM card rules come into effect from July 1: Details

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has implemented new SIM card rules from today, i.e., July 1. As part of the new guidelines, swapping a lost SIM card with a fresh one will now include a buffer of seven days before you can port it to a different provider. In other words, if your SIM card is lost or misplaced, you cannot port out to a different mobile operator before seven days of receiving a fresh SIM card from the same operator.

Announced in March, the new rules aim to simplify mobile number portability for mobile subscribers. The Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Regulations, which came into effect in 2009 and have been amended nine times, include guidelines on allocating the Unique Porting Code (UPC) for a number when MNP is initiated. Previously, UPC requests made within 10 days of receiving a fresh SIM card from the same operator were rejected. That waiting time has been reduced to 7 days with the new rules.

According to a report, TRAI’s decision is an outcome of the feedback from stakeholders. While some stakeholders favoured continuing the 10-day waiting period for UPC generation after a SIM card swap, others wanted that waiting period to come down to less than four days. They said longer waiting periods often cause customers inconvenience, especially when they want to port out urgently. However, TRAI found the middle ground. The regulatory body said amendments are important to streamline mobile number portability and curb fraud involved in the process, but reduced the waiting period by three days.

What is a SIM card swap?

The TRAI guidelines define a SIM card swap as the process where if you lose or misplace your existing SIM card, your mobile operator issues a fresh one on the same number. Your operator may need you to furnish your KYC documents, associated with the number.

What is Mobile Number Portability (MNP)?

MNP is the process where a customer initiates a request to their existing mobile operator to move out and register themselves with a new carrier. It involves generating a UPC by sending an SMS and then using the same code for porting out to the new operator.