Govt to abolish roaming charges next year

Kapil Sibal, Telecom Minister, has announced today that roaming charges will be made free for mobile phone subscribers from next year.

"From next year. Our secretary has told you that it will be free from next year," Sibal said in response to a query on the timing of removing roaming charges as proposed in the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012.

The NTP 2012 policy is meant to provide an efficient telecommunication infrastructure taking into account the primary objective of maximising public good by empowering the people of India.

COAI director general Rajan S Mathews had earlier told CIOL that a final call on implementation of free roaming would be taken by the DoT. "This proposal for no additional charges for roaming across the nation is complex, serious and potentially disruptive matter," he informed.

"Roaming revenues help many operators cross-subsidize voice calls. Once this cushion is not available, we might see tariffs of voice calls go up," Mathews said.

The thrust areas of the New Telecom Policy-2012 are: Increase rural teledensity from the current level of around 39 to 70 by the year 2017 and 100 by the year 2020, repositioning of Mobile phone as an instrument of empowerment, broadband -"'Broadband For All" at a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps, consumer Focus - Achieve One Nation - Full Mobile Number Portability and work towards One Nation - Free Roaming, and so on.

Source: CIOL