Question : Mobile and Internet Tariff

(a) whether the Government has any control on mobile tariff;

(b) whether the rates of mobile services are likely to be revised soon and if so, the details thereof, indicating the existing rates for various telecom services in the country;

(c) whether some telecom operators have increased mobile tariff and have been making frequent changes in their tariff plans misleading the users;

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the complaints received against such telecom operators, operator-wise; and

(e) the action taken by the Government in this regard and the measures taken to keep the mobile rates reasonable?

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) to (e) The Government does not fix tariffs for telecom services. The power to notify the rates at which telecommunication services are to be provided by various telecom operators in the country was vested in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act of 1997. Section 11 (2) of TRAI Act empowers the Authority to notify Tariff for various telecommunication services.



As per the existing tariff framework, tariff for telecommunication access service in the country is under forbearance except for National Roaming and Rural Fixed Line Services. The telecom service providers have the flexibility to decide various tariff components for different service areas of their operation. Tariffs are offered by telecom service providers taking into account several factors including input costs, level of competition and other commercial considerations. Hike and reduction of different tariff components by telecom service providers are a regular feature and these changes vary for different tariff plans/ special tariff vouchers and service areas of operation.

TRAI monitors the tariff offered by the telecom service providers on a regular basis. TRAI has issued several guidelines for protection of interest of consumers including those related to misleading tariffs and transparency in communication of tariff. At present, as informed by TRAI, the average tariffs for outgoing voice calls in India are one of the lowest in the world. The average tariff for outgoing voice call is Rs. 0.48 per minute for GSM service and Rs. 0.39 per minute for CDMA-full mobility service.

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