Airtel, Reliance Jio to Stop USSD-based Call Forwarding on Smartphones, Government Releases Order

The method of call forwarding on smartphones of Android and iPhone users in the country is going to change. The Telecom Department has ordered telecom companies including Airtel and Reliance Jio to stop call forwarding using USSD codes from April 15.

USSD codes are short codes that mobile users dial to check their balance or the IMEI number of their phone. Though this is a convenience, the Department of Telecom (DoT) believes that these are likely to be used for online scams and crimes related to mobile phones. A media report said that the USSD codes are not used for online scams and crimes related to mobile phones. Report Citing the DoT order, it has been stated that it has come to light that the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) based call forwarding facility is being misused for some unwanted activities. This facility is also known as *401# services.

The order states, “It has been decided that USSD-based call forwarding services will be discontinued from April 15. All subscribers who have activated USSD-based call forwarding services may be asked to re-activate call forwarding services through alternative means to ensure that such services are not activated without their knowledge.” Telecom companies like Airtel and Reliance Jio will be responsible for providing alternative methods of call forwarding. The change is aimed at enhancing security and preventing unauthorized call forwarding, which could be used to steal confidential information such as one-time passwords (OTP).

From July this year, the rules for mobile number portability (MNP) will also change. Under the new rules, if a SIM card is swapped or replaced, the mobile number associated with it cannot be ported to a different telecom company for seven days. The new rules will reduce SIM fraud. These rules will come into effect from July 1. These rules will not allow mobile subscribers to port a mobile number to a different telecom operator if they have swapped or replaced their SIM card in the last seven days. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has stated in a circular that the purpose of these rules is to prevent porting of mobile numbers by means of fraudulent swapping or replacing of SIMs. TRAI has also added an additional condition to reject the request for allocation of Unique Porting Code (UPC) for transferring a mobile number from one telecom operator to another.