TRAI proposes to slash mobile roaming rates sharply

India's telecom regulator Friday proposed to chop roaming call and SMS rates drastically, by around 35 percent and 80 percent respectively.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Friday released a draft amendment to the Telecommunication Tariff Order, 1999 for comments of the stakeholders.

Through the amendment order, the TRAI aims to reduce the ceiling tariffs for national roaming services, a statement said here.

National roaming service is the facility provided to a subscriber to avail services subscribed in its home network, while travelling outside the geographical coverage area of the home network, by means of using a visited network.

As per the existing framework for telecom access services, the country has been divided into 22 licensed service areas.

The TRAI has proposed to cut down maximum charges that can be imposed on outgoing local calls during roaming to 65 paise per minute, from ceiling rate of Re.1 per minute, under the latest draft amendment of telecommunication tariff order.

It has also proposed to slash long distance or STD call rates during roaming to Re.1 per minute, from maximum charge of Rs.1.5 per minute. TRAI wants telecom companies to charge a maximum of 45 paise per minute, instead of 75 paise permitted at present for incoming calls.

It said local SMS should be charged 20 paise maximum compared Re.1 that can be charged at present while roaming. TRAI has proposed 25 paise per STD SMS sent by customers when they are roaming, compared to the ceiling tariff of Rs.1.5 per SMS now.

The telecom regulator has sought comments from stakeholders by March 13, following which it will issue the final order.