Telecom Operators Must File Tariffs with TRAI Within 7 Days of Launch

Telecom Operators Must File Tariffs with TRAI Within 7 Days of Launch
Indian telecom operators such as Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, BSNL, and Bharti Airtel frequently introduce new tariff plans, often tweaking their prepaid offerings. However, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea tend to roll out such tariff benefits or revisions more frequently, especially during festivals and special occasions. These include freebies or minor tweaks, accompanied by banners on websites and social media posts that highlight the benefits or capture the festive spirit. These offerings typically come with (not necessarily all) free data, extended validity, additional perks, cash back coupons, discounts, OTT services, or other benefits, delighting customers with continuous value additions.

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Recent Tariff Revisions

However, in the recent past, private telecom service providers increased their tariffs, a fact acknowledged in the Lok Sabha. It was noted that the tariff hikes by telecom service providers, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Infocomm, and Vodafone Idea, ranged from 11 percent to 25 percent, indicating that the Government is already aware of the tariff revisions.

On November 27, a question was raised in the Lok Sabha regarding the unilateral tariff increases despite government monitoring and whether there were plans to regulate these changes.

Also Read: Reliance Jio Launches Diwali Dhamaka Offer with 1-Year Free JioAirFiber

Role of TRAI and the Forbearance Policy

In response, the Minister of State for Communications clarified that, like many other countries, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has adopted a forbearance policy for mobile telecom services. Under this policy, tariffs for telecommunication services are under forbearance, except for specific services such as national roaming, rural fixed-line services, USSD services, mobile number portability charges, and leased circuits.

This means telecom service providers (TSPs) are free to set their tariffs based on market demand and supply in a competitive environment. This flexibility allows operators to adjust pricing according to market conditions.