Trai slashes roaming charges by up to 56%

NEW DELHI: Your mobile roaming bill will come down by up to 56% but you could well end up paying more for your local calls ��� if GSM operators manage to unitedly retaliate against the new measure.
The telecom regulatory body, Trai, announced a new roaming tariff regime on Wednesday and said this will take effect from February 15. But faced with a hit of Rs 800-900 crore in revenues from a niche customer segment, GSM operators say they may have to increase local call charges.
"The decline in roaming tariffs necessitates an increase in local call tariffs as roaming tariffs were so far allowing operators to offer affordable services to consumers.This will adversely affect low-end, marginal consumers," said T V Ramachandran, director general, COAI, an industry association that represents GSM mobile operators. TOI was the first to report Trai���s intent to slash roaming charges.
Experts feel this retaliation exposes the industry���s inability to successfully appeal against Trai���s tariff order in the Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal as TDSAT is unlikely to rule against a pro-consumer order.