The Indian telecommunications regulator is examining concerns raised by Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio regarding alleged improper actions by Vodafone Idea (Vi) related to the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) service.
A senior official from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), who wished to remain unnamed, stated that the matter is under review. He emphasized that any issue brought to TRAI's attention is subject to mandatory investigation, and the relevant parties will be summoned to provide explanations.
Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio claim that Vi used dishonest methods to attract customers from competing operators to its network. These actions, they argue, violate the rules and regulations set by the regulator. Although Vodafone Idea denies all allegations, stating compliance with all norms, the third-largest telecom company must present its position to the regulator.
According to a report by Business Standard on Monday, the unfair practices complained about by Jio and Airtel are linked to customer acquisition through MNP—a mechanism that allows a user to switch operators without changing their phone number. The accusations are directed at Vodafone Idea and/or its sales representatives and partners for violating directives issued by TRAI.
The major operators state that people calling customers are impersonating employees of non-Vodafone companies and informing them about upcoming tariff hikes or changes in existing plans. Furthermore, the telecom companies allege that Vi restricted SMS messages that should automatically be sent to number 1900 to obtain a Unique Porting Code (UPC) under MNP, which violates the MNP 2009 norms requiring the immediate release of the UPC from the network from which the customer is switching.
It was also revealed that the two operators accuse Vi of distributing and promoting discounted postpaid tariff plans for those wishing to switch to Vi using MNP. The operators approached TRAI requesting it to investigate these alleged abuses and submit a report to the regulator. They also urged TRAI to issue directives prohibiting operators and their agents from engaging in misleading or deceptive practices when acquiring customers via MNP.
This development comes as Aditya Birla Group is on a path to recovery, striving to regain lost ground by monthly attracting new customers and modernizing its network to 5G, relying on plans to inject massive funding of ₹35,000 crore from banks. Despite a debt burden of ₹1.2 trillion, the third-largest company has developed an aggressive plan to invest ₹45,000 crore in capital expenditure by the 2029 fiscal year. Vi is also strengthening its market and consumer presence through an active marketing campaign, featuring actor Shah Rukh Khan for the first time in many years. The company promotes the idea of equal service for all amidst Bharti Airtel launching Fastlane services for its postpaid customers. Meanwhile, Vi remains the only one among its competitors that has not yet implemented a tariff increase.
