Faced with a severe scarcity of 10-digit numbers, several mobile phone companies have suggested to the sector regulator that prepaid subscribers should be charged a fee if they want to keep their connections inactive for more than two months.
The mobile operators, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices - who were responding to a consultation paper on deactivation of SIMs due to non-usage - told the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that about 200 million inactive connections needed to be terminated, especially in the prepaid segment.
They proposed to extend prepaid users a "safe custody" facility - similar to the one being offered to postpaid subscribers - for an annual fee that is likely to range from 300 to 600.
"By paying a lump sum fee, any wireless subscriber should be able to retain their mobile connections even after long continuous periods of non-usage," RCOM told Trai.
RCOM said prolonged periods of non-usage could force telcos to shift to 11-digit numbers. Mobile phone companies have been letting customers go since July 2012 when Anil Ambani-owned RCOM deactivated 21 million subscribers who were not using their connections for over two months. It disconnected some 15 million more in December.
"Safe custody is allowed to a postpaid customer for up to 180 days for 50 a month. Idea is in the process of exploring creation of a similar facility for its prepaid customers," said Rajat Mukarji, chief corporate affairs officer at Idea.
Read More . . . .