Great news for multiple SIM card users in India! Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India made an announcement that could bring a smile to millions of people's faces. TRAI said that it will not be charging for multiple SIMs. TRAI's efforts to make telecom service more accessible and affordable will allow users to use multiple SIM cards. Let’s read on to understand better how TRAI new rules can help you.
What Is TRAI And How Does It Work?
Trai was established to expand the telecom industry in India. TRAI is a regulatory body that acts as the father of the Indian telecom industry. Another goal was to provide a moderate and well-defined policy for telecom service providers. To achieve its objective, TRAI has issued many laws and restrictions. It has also helped the Indian telecom industry grow from a state-owned to a multi-operator market.
The TRAI's New Rules And Latest Announcement
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has denied recent media reports that the regulator was planning to impose charges on consumers with more than one SIM connection. Some media sections have reported that TRAI has suggested charging fees for both fixed and mobile numbers to better allocate limited resources.
On Friday, the regulator denied all these claims, stating that such speculation in the media was unfounded and only served to mislead the public. In the discussion paper released on June 6, TRAI asked stakeholders whether fines should be imposed on telecom companies if the Telecom Identifiers (TIs) resources were not used for a certain time.
The TIs are a set of numbers and characters used to identify a person using a mobile or landline service. TRAI believes that, with the advent of 5G networks, TIs play a crucial role in providing effective communication and network management. According to a TRAI report, telecom companies often exploit market demand by providing "highly coveted” numbers at a higher price and then auctioning them to generate a higher profit from the allocation of these numbers.
The paper says that these practices lead to inefficient use of numbering resources but also cause the hoarding of numbers. However, companies have warned regulators that any decision to charge fees for the sale of numbers could result in additional costs being passed on to consumers.
Why Did TRAI Have To Provide Clarity?
On December 9, 2021, the central government announced an order that will shut off the phones of users with more than nine SIMs. If data verification of individual subscribers finds more than nine numbers (6 in the case of J&K, North East, and Assam), all mobile connections will be flagged for verification. The DoT has asked telecom companies to remove all blocked mobile numbers that are not working as per the rules. You must have complete knowledge about all SIM requirements and the ongoing SIM frauds to save yourself.
Also read this article to protect yourself from SIM Scam.
Conclusion
It is true that the use of multiple SIMs has resulted in an increasing number of fraud cases. However, with the TRAI’s new rules, we need to rest assured that there will be no price changes or price increases when using multiple SIMs. These decisions signify that TRAI is committed to consumer rights and affordable and accessible telecommunications.
If you want to read more about TRAI’s new directives, please click here.
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