Tata Docomo cuts roaming rates by up to 75pc

Telecom operator Tata Docomo today said it has reduced roaming rates for calls and SMSes by up to 75 per cent.
"Tata Docomo customers will now pay less for both local and STD calls on national roaming. On roaming, for all outgoing local calls, now the customer has to pay 80 paise per minute from the earlier Rs 1 per minute," Tata Docomo said in a statement.
For STD calls during roaming, Tata Docomo customers will be charged Rs 1.15 per minute compared to Rs 1.5 per minute charged earlier.
The customers will have to pay 25 paise per local SMS when they are on roaming instead of Re 1 charged earlier and for STD or national SMS customers will have to 38 paise compared to Rs 1.5 per SMS levied earlier.

"For incoming calls on roaming, the customer will be charged 45 paise per minute from the earlier 75 paise per minute," the statement said.
Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance Communications, Idea Cellular and Videocon Telecom have already announced reduction of call and sms charges during roaming.

As per order of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, no company can charge more than 80 paise for local call, Rs 1.15 for STD call, 45 paise for incoming call on per minute basis from a customer during roaming in the country from May 1 onward.
The regulator has also fixed 25 paise for each local sms and 38 paise per STD or national SMS.

Telecom operators are free to offer customers lower rate than prescribed by TRAI but all companies have announced reduction equal to maximum rate issued by the regulator.
TRAI has removed some plans under new order that allowed customers to avail same tariff while they are roaming as they paid in their home circle or place from where they purchased SIM.