Trai Denies Charges on Multiple SIMs: Telecom Regulator Clarifies

New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) Telecom regulator Trai on Friday termed reports that it intends to impose charges on customers for holding multiple SIMs and numbering resources "unequivocally false".

Clearing the air on the issue, Trai said the telecom department, being the sole custodian of telecommunication identifiers (TI) resources, had approached the regulator in September 2022, seeking recommendations on a revised National Numbering Plan for undertaking efficient management and judicious utilisation of numbering resources in the country.

Accordingly, Trai released its consultation paper on the revision of the National Numbering Plan (NNP) "with an aim to assess all factors currently affecting the allocation and utilisation of Telecommunication Identifier (TI) resources".

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said it also aims to propose amendments that would refine allocation policies and utilisation procedures, thereby, ensuring a sufficient reserve of TI resources for present and future requirements.

"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," it said.

Trai's consultation process is founded on principles of transparency and inclusivity, involving the publication of consultation papers, solicitation of stakeholder comments, study/analysis of international best practices associated with the consultation at hand and facilitation of open house discussions -- all conducted in the public domain.

"The final recommendations offered by TRAI to DoT is a fallout of due diligence and deliberate analysis and is mostly in consonance with logical conclusions inferred out of aforesaid activities," the regulator said in the release.