Money Back from Airtel

Complying with a directive from telecom regulator TRAI, AirTel has refunded Rs 32.73 crore it levied from subscribers for migrating to revised tariff plans. The operator had collected a one-time migration fee ranging from Rs 50-200 totalling Rs 35.49 crore from existing subscribers for switching to revised plans with lower charges. Charging such a fee [...]

Is India’s telecom regulator dead?

Sunil Jain, in his latest article in Business Standard (via Rediff), writes that the latest actions of goverment indicate that it may be undermining the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Am highlighting some points from the article. More so since, when it comes to Trai’s other powers, to insist that telecom firms allow others to [...]

Unfair fare

TRAI is doing its bit to dealwith customer outrage at the billing practices of mobile service companies. It had issued a consultation paper on billing issues some months ago, and it is seeking to elicit the opinion of telecom players and customers on issues of concern. Below are some of the billing issues raised in [...]

Telecom Policy Draft Paper

In a draft strategy paper prepared by the Department of Economic Affairs on the telecom sector, the finance ministry has suggested sweeping changes in the country’s telecom policy, including permitting private sector telcos to share the infrastructure built by state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, redefining norms for computation of licence fee revenue and a new [...]

Licence fee cut for STD-ISD services

Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran announced the slashing of entry fees for both national and international long distance operators to Rs 2.5 crore from Rs 100 crore and Rs 25 crore, respectively. The annual licence fee for both services had been reduced to 6% of annual gross revenue from 15%. The government has also decided to [...]