Telcos ask Trai to fix floor price for voice call, data

Incumbent operators also took up with Trai the issue of interconnect usage charges

The onslaught of free services and low tariffs by Reliance Jio has forced some of the old operators to ask the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to fix a floor or minimum price for voice call and data. The demand, however, impugns the principle of forbearance, which has been in place for the past 14 years.

During a meeting between top executives of telecom companies and Trai Chairman R S Sharma on Thursday, some of the telcos raised the issue of operators offering below-cost tariffs to consumers, and said it could hurt the financials of the industry.

Sources said