TNPDCL Replaces 3,110 Airtel Numbers With Jio After Telecom Migration Dispute

Residents in Chennai have been unable to contact Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (TNPDCL) officials to register complaints for the past five days after official phone numbers became defunct following a dispute with telecom provider Airtel.

TNPDCL is now replacing the existing Airtel closed user group (CUG) connections used by 3,110 field engineers and officers with new Reliance Jio SIM cards. TNPDCL Chairman and Managing Director V Arun Roy said that the replacement numbers will be operational in a day or two.

TNPDCL maintains a total of 21,953 CUG mobile connections, comprising 17,919 from BSNL and 3,110 from Airtel. Under a two-year agreement signed in 2022, the power corporation paid ₹116.23 per connection each month. After a one-year extension expired, TNPDCL floated a fresh tender in 2025.

In the new tender, Jio submitted the lowest bid at ₹53.10 per connection per month. BSNL agreed to match the lower price, but Airtel declined to do so. Following the bidding process, TNPDCL requested Airtel to facilitate mobile number portability to Jio.

A TNPDCL official stated that Airtel refused to allow migration to a different network, describing the refusal as a violation of TRAI guidelines. Officials also accused Airtel of abruptly suspending services on August 15.

In addition to the Airtel connections, TNPDCL sought the migration of 8,700 BSNL numbers to Jio due to poor connectivity. BSNL has completed the migration of 4,800 of those connections so far.