Telecom Lead India: Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI) has asked all mobile service providers to offer per second pulse
rate to its customers.
As per TRAI’s amendments to the Telecommunication Tariff
Order (TTO), there will be a mandating provision of per second pulse rate by
every service provider.
The amendment will also be putting a ceiling on tariff for
calls and SMSs meant for participating in contests and games.
The amendment will also be giving flexibility to the service
providers for implementing ILD tariff for Life time subscribers.
TRAI said after this amendment it has become mandatory for
service providers to offer in each service area at least one tariff plan each
for both postpaid and prepaid subscriber with a uniform pulse rate of one
second.
According to TRAI, the rates for premium rate services
currently levied by mobile service providers are substantially higher vis-Ã -vis
the normal tariff applicable for a two-way communication due to the fact that
the charges levied also include the price for content.
Keeping in view the fact that calls and SMS made for
participating in competition and voting hardly contain any content, the
Authority has mandated that tariff for such calls and SMS shall not exceed four
times of the applicable local call/ SMS charges. The amendment also provides
flexibility to service providers to apply revision in ILD tariff uniformly for
new as well as existing subscribers.
“The service providers will be at liberty to offer
alternative tariff plans with any pulse rate within the overall ceiling of 25
tariff plans,” TRAI said in a statement.
TRAI had issued a consultation paper in October last year on
“Certain issues relating to Telecom Tariff” seeking views of
stakeholders.
Most of the operators opposed when asked if one standard
plan for all service providers particularly for a prepaid subscriber would be
relevant in the present scenario of Indian telecom market.
The regulator has also retained the existing cap of 25
tariff plans that can be offered by access service providers including
post-paid and pre-paid.
