In a step towards implementing the One Nation – Free Roaming objective of the National Telecom Policy, 2012, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (“TRAI”) issued the Telecommunication Tariff (Sixtieth Amendment) Order, 2015 (3 of 2015) vide Press Release No. 26/2015 dated April 9, 2015 (“60th Tariff Order”), reducing ceiling tariffs for national roaming calls and SMSes. The TRAI also made it mandatory for the telecom service providers (“TSPs”) to offer a special roaming tariff plan. The 60th Tariff Order would be implemented with effect from May 1, 2015.

TRAI has specifically laid down in the 60th Tariff Order that a special roaming tariff plan would mean a plan to be offered by the TSPs, where the subscriber would not be charged for an incoming voice call on national roaming upon payment of a fixed charge, if any. Such plan, although currently offered by certain TSPs, would mandatorily have to be offered by all the TSPs to both its pre-paid and post-paid subscribers.

Further, with regard to the revision in the ceilings for voice calls and SMSes, the TRAI has fixed the limits on the tariff chargeable by TSPs. The following table sets-out the comparison between the existing and the revised tariff ceilings for various heads:-

Item	Existing Ceiling(in INR)	Revised Ceiling (w.e.f. May 1, 2015)(in INR)
Outgoing local voice call while on national roaming	1.00 per minute	0.80 per minute
Outgoing long distance (inter-circle) voice call while on national roaming	1.50 per minute	1.15 per minute
Incoming voice call while on national roaming	0.75 per minute	0.45 per minute
Outgoing local Short Message Services (SMS) while on national roaming	1.00 per SMS	0.25 per SMS
Outgoing long distance (inter-circle) Short Message Services (SMS) while on national roaming	1.50 per SMS	0.38 per SMS

The TRAI is of the view that all subscribers would be benefited from the reduced tariff ceilings. TRAI expects competitive pricing among the TSPs within the ceiling levels and would be monitoring the implementation of this regime.

First published here.

Original author: Arjun Uppal