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Much like the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Reliance-Jio-vs-Telecom-Industry-Jios-Battle-of-Supremacy-so-Far/articleshow/53875879.cms">launch of Reliance Jio’s</a> telecom and internet services, <keyword id="2003276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jio">Jio</keyword>’s newly announced ‘smartish’ feature phone too is finding its way to the middle of a controversy. This time around the debate is whether the <keyword id="4289270" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="jio-phone">Jio phone</keyword> violates the principles of Net Neutrality. At this point it’s important to mention that not all details of the new Jio Phone are out yet. However, sources in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (<keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>) say that, looking at the available details so far, the Jio phone does not violate the principles of Net Neutrality. The Net Neutrality debate saw its peek in India with Facebook's Free Basics and <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>'s Zero rating offerings both were shut down by TRAI stating they went against the principles of Net neutrality but Jio phone, as of now, seems to be in the clear. 
 The issue got triggered when India’s third largest telecom operator, Idea, recently commented on how the new Jio phone raise concerns about net neutrality, “It will not allow most of the apps which a customer prefers and the choice of apps may not work because it is forcing consumers to use an individual operator’s apps,” <keyword id="510299" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Himanshu-Kapania">Himanshu Kapania</keyword>, the managing director of Idea Cellular had said. Kapania also talked about working with handset makers to launch a new phone to counter Jio, targeting the 2G consumers in India. The company says even if the phone cannot compete with Jio’s pricing it will offer customers the freedom of choice. 
 
Telecom Analyst (doesn’t wish to be named) believes that the consumer has a choice and that nothing can be fully neutral. Consumer has other means/devices for accessing the internet. There are plenty of alternative devices available in the market which he can fall back to (India being predominantly an open market for devices, alternatives will be many). If an operator steers the consumer to its own content by offering a device, it does not seem to violate the principles of "Net Neutrality" as laid out by the TRAI.” 
 TRAI seems to agree with this. Jio has talked about how the Jio phone will come packed with entire set of Jio apps but it’s still unclear if non-Jio apps will find a place in the Jio phone. TRAI believes that if <keyword id="10926" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance">Reliance</keyword> is providing its services in its intranet then by providing their apps to the consumers, Jio is not doing anything wrong. Source also indicates that consumers will be aware about the product and they can choose not to buy it. TRAI says if Jio is not blocking any particular site then merely providing additional apps with its product do not violate the principles of Net Neutrality. TRAI will be looking into Jio Phone in detail once the company submits its tariff for the new plan/phone to TRAI. 
 
Well with the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Jio-phone-to-be-a-single-sim-feature-phone-and-existing-customers-can-shift-to-it/articleshow/59776367.cms">launch of the Jio Phone</a>, the company has managed to pique our interest but not without setting off yet another controversy. However, TRAI's Feb 8th order of 2016 prevents an operator to offer differentiated rates for accessing different content (by the operator tying up with a content player), but it has not prevented an operator from offering its own content in its intranet at a differentiated rate or even free. While we are still waiting for details that could either douse the ‘controversy’ fire or add fuel to it, it would be fair to say that the proposed phone by Jio will appeal to the predominantly voice usage customers BUT it will be extremely important to see how exactly Jio is planning to cater to consumers wanting to browse the Internet.

TRAI sources: Free Basics was a problem, Zero Rating was a problem, Jio Phone is not a problem

New Delhi, The <keyword id="128625" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="internet-and-mobile-association-of-india" source="Orion">Internet and Mobile Association of India</keyword> (<keyword id="149966" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="iamai" source="Orion">IAMAI</keyword>) on Thursday raised concerns over privacy and implementation in response to the proposal of the <keyword id="30356" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="telecom-regulatory-authority-of-india" source="Orion">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (TRAI) mandating telecom service providers to display callers' names. The IAMAI argued that the TRAI's proposal to make it mandatory for telcos to enable Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) presents a material risk to the privacy of Indian citizens. It may also endanger individuals preferring not to be identified to the caller and open up individuals from vulnerable populations to targeted harassment, argued the industry body. According to TRAI data, there are approximately 1145.5 million wireless subscribers and 26.5 million wireline subscribers in India (as of September 2022). "The implementation of CNAP for such a massive quantum of users would require telecom providers to put in place a secure, synchronised, and robust system capable of supporting billions of calls daily. This will require a significant overhaul of the current telecom infrastructure, resulting in carriers incurring huge costs," said the IAMAI. Moreover, it will create a large privacy risk to users. In light of these issues, the IAMAI has recommended that TRAI consider providing citizens with an 'opt-in' approach as an alternative. "Giving citizens a choice to voluntarily opt in and out of CNAP services will ensure that citizens' choices and preferences are put at the forefront while ensuring that their right to privacy is protected," said the industry body. The TRAI has called a meeting with mobile phone operators on February 17 to discuss the quality of wireline and wireless services, especially around the 5G rollout.

TRAI's move to display callers' names endangers privacy, imposes costs says industry body IAMAI

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (<keyword id="19942079" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI" source="keywords">TRAI</keyword>) has urged the government to launch the <keyword id="22872478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tera-Hertz" source="keywords">Tera Hertz</keyword> Experimental Authorisation (THEA), a program aimed at boosting research and development in the Tera Hertz frequency band. This frequency band has unique properties that could make it crucial for next-generation wireless communication technologies, including <keyword id="20669191" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="6G" source="keywords">6G</keyword>. On Wednesday, TRAI released its recommendations on the Tera Hertz Spectrum. This followed a request from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on December 8, 2022, for advice on using unused or minimally used spectrum bands in the Tera Hertz range for limited periods to generate demand. "The purpose of THEA should be to promote Research &amp; Development (R&amp;D), indoor and outdoor testing, technology trial, experimentation, and demonstration in the 95 GHz to 3 THz range," stated TRAI. These recommendations are intended to empower entrepreneurs, startups, and academic institutions to explore new technologies and applications within this high-frequency spectrum. The spectrum has immense potential in various fields, including telecommunications, automotive, and medical industries. TRAI has proposed a five-year authorisation period for THEA, with the possibility of extending it for another five years. This allows for extensive experimentation and development. Innovators can apply for THEA by paying a nominal fee of Rs. 1,000, making it accessible to a wide range of stakeholders. "Any Indian Entity (Academic institute, R&amp;D Laboratory, Central/ State Government, public sector unit, Union Territory, Technology Park, telecommunication service provider, incubator, original equipment manufacturer, etc.) should be eligible to obtain THEA," mentioned TRAI. The authorisation covers several frequency bands, including 116-123 GHz, 174.8-182 GHz, 185-190 GHz, and 244-246 GHz, with specific provisions for automotive radar systems in the 77-81 GHz range. Experts believe THEA will significantly enhance India's technological landscape by enabling hands-on experimentation. This will help innovators assess the performance and viability of their products during crucial development stages. Additionally, it will support the "Make in India" initiative. "Upon implementation, the new experimental authorisation regime recommended by the Authority will provide a boost to the 'Make in India' initiatives of the Government," TRAI added. THEA's launch aligns with the government's broader vision of fostering a culture of innovation and research in the country. "The introduction of next-generation <keyword id="22150173" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wireless-technologies" source="keywords">wireless technologies</keyword> that could be deployed both indoor and outdoor, operating over distances ranging from less than a meter to several hundred meters, and deliver increased capacity and reliability for existing use cases as well as new and emerging use cases," said TRAI. By encouraging the development of advanced solutions, India aims to enhance its technological capabilities and contribute to global advancements in various industries. As the world turns to high-frequency technologies, THEA could elevate India's position on the global tech stage. (ANI)

TRAI recommends launch of THEA to boost 6G and next-gen wireless technologies in India

NEW DELHI: Amid the industry's concerns over less-than-expected price cuts, Trai chairman PD Vaghela on Tuesday asserted that the regulator's recommendations of a 39 per cent drop in <keyword id="804714" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spectrum-prices" source="Orion">spectrum prices</keyword> are rational, attractive and backed by "scientific calculations". Vaghela told PTI that in view of the huge market potential of 5G, he is confident that the telecom industry will actively take part in the auction. The chairman expressed hope that the recommended reserve prices will attract bidders in the forthcoming auction. He also said that the ease of doing business, extensive stakeholder inputs, and facilitating the proliferation of 5G in the country have been the most important drivers for Trai's latest stance. Setting the stage for the rollout of 5G services, telecom regulator Trai on Monday recommended a mega auction plan valued at over Rs 7.5 lakh crore at the base price across multiple bands for radiowaves allocated over 30 years. Overall, the <keyword id="12394776" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="telecom-regulatory-authority-of" source="Orion">Telecom Regulatory Authority of</keyword> <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> (Trai) recommended about a 39 per cent reduction in the reserve or floor price for the sale of spectrum for mobile services, including the latest 5G offering, as it looked to match revenue expectations with the industry's paying capacity. Industry body COAI, however, has expressed deep disappointment over Trai's 5G recommendations, and termed the spectrum pricing suggested by the regulator as "too high". Given the recent reforms for the telecom sector announced by the government, these recommendations are "one step backwards than forward" towards building a digitally connected India, COAI claimed. COAI argued that the industry had recommended 90 per cent lower prices, and to see only about 35-40 per cent reduction recommended in prices "is deeply disappointing". Asked about the industry's views on less than expected price cuts, Vaghela in an interview said the regulator's recommendations of a 39 per cent drop in spectrum prices are backed by "scientific calculations". "Trai takes the business of calculation of valuation seriously, and on that basis, we have arrived at rational reserve prices. The prices we have given have been set at 70 per cent of valuation," he said. Taking off from the telecom department's reference seeking auction-related recommendations, Trai considered various aspects like ease of doing business, stakeholder inputs and most importantly, the proliferation of 5G and use cases in the country to ensure that economic benefits of technology are derived by all sections of society, he said. "If you see our recommendations on surrender fee, easy and flexible payment options, and leasing of spectrum for private networks, these are all aimed at ease of doing business and attracting investment into the telecom sector," Vaghela said. While auctions and network rollout are important considerations, "as a country, we need to facilitate penetration of 5G based technologies and use cases", Vaghela said. "A complete ecosystem needs to be created towards this objective," he said. "So, we have recommended action plans for vertical sectors, i.e., industry sectors and social sectors ...that they should be actively preparing plans for adopting 5G applications. Stakeholders like farmers, fishermen, students, MSMEs etc need to be further empowered to be part of the digital economy," Vaghela added. 5G technology once implemented should create demand for telecom products, thereby improving revenue streams for telecom service providers, and should also help consumers and the public at large to become a part of the mainstream digital economy, he noted. "India should reap the benefits of technologies and applications, which are based on 5G," the Trai chief said. On whether the industry has the paying capacity, given that over one lakh <keyword id="13265908" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="megahertz" source="Orion">megahertz</keyword> of spectrum worth over Rs 5 lakh crore at reserve price will be on the block (for 20-year allocation), Vaghela said, "With the attractive reserve prices recommended, flexible payment options offered, easy spectrum surrender conditions, recommendations on leasing etc., the forthcoming auction will surely be attractive for the investors". The Indian economy is growing, technology adoption is being ramped up by different vertical sectors and the market for telecom products is expanding at a rapid pace, he noted. "In view of the huge market potential of 5G, I am sure that the telecom industry will actively take part in the auction," he said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/xiaomis-manu-kumar-jain-has-been-reportedly-summoned-by-the-enforcement-directorate/articleshow/90803402.cms">Xiaomi’s Manu Kumar Jain has been reportedly summoned by the Enforcement Directorate</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/travel-tourism-and-hospitality-sector-is-witnessing-a-surge-in-manpower-demand-by-20-percent/slidelist/90799907.cms">Travel, tourism and hospitality sector is witnessing a surge in manpower demand by 20 percent</a>

Recommended spectrum prices are backed by scientific calculations, says Trai chief Vaghela

<ul><li>TRAI is reportedly working on a consultation paper aimed to reduce cable television bills. </li><li>When the new tariff regime came into place in February 2019, there was a huge uproar from consumers because of having to ultimately pay higher prices. </li><li>TRAI is also looking to regulate OTT platforms in India.</li></ul>Within months of implementing a new DTH tariff regime, the telecom regulator wants to try and make cable bills cheaper, yet again. <keyword id="30356" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (TRAI) is working on a consultation paper to reduce the bills, according to <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/3-months-into-new-tariffs-trai-looks-to-lower-tv-bills/articleshow/69420499.cms?UTM_Source=Google_Newsstand&amp;UTM_Campaign=RSS_Feed&amp;UTM_Medium=Referral&amp;from=mdr">reports</a>. Under the new tariff regime which was painstakingly implemented by players in February this year, consumers could pay-per-channel, making way for more transparency in the final bill they were paying. However, this pro-consumer move resulted in confusion amongst users and even television blackouts. As a result, the number of consumer complaints shot up. TRAI had to issue a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/new-trai-rules-and-show-cause-notice-to-airtel/articleshow/67877793.cms">showcause</a> notice to Airtel when old channels were disconnected and new channels selected by consumers, failed to activate. Not cheap at all Consumers also complained of having to pay higher prices than before. In order to deal with the confusion, TRAI also extended the time for selection of channels for viewers under the new subscription model. The revised date for consumers stood at March 31. However, it seems that almost two months later, things are not right yet. “The aim was to make TV channel pricing more transparent and to give control of channels to the consumers, while making it more affordable… but it did not pan out that way,” a TRAI official told <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/3-months-into-new-tariffs-trai-looks-to-lower-tv-bills/articleshow/69420499.cms?UTM_Source=Google_Newsstand&amp;UTM_Campaign=RSS_Feed&amp;UTM_Medium=Referral&amp;from=mdr">ET.</a> Meanwhile, TRAI is also looking to regulate OTT platforms like <keyword id="2739840" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hotstar">Hotstar</keyword>, SonyLiv and ZEE5. TRAI Chairman R.S. Sharma, along with other dignitaries recently held an open house discussion for a consultation Paper on regulatory framework for Over-the Top (OTT) communication services in India.

Television viewing in India may get cheaper again as TRAI works on reducing bills

The <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> said the order by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (<keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>) asking telecom service providers to pay for <keyword id="6395111" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="call-drops">call drops</keyword> was unreasonable and struck it down. 
 
Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman said the TRAI notification was unreasonable, arbitrary and non-transparent. 
 During the hearing, the <keyword id="6379816" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-operators">telecom operators</keyword> said TRAI decision was a populist measure to accommodate consumers as call drops were happening for host of external considerations not attributable to them. 
 
The TRAI argued that the penalising for call drops was the least invasive way to deal with the issue and the telecos were making money from it. 
 
Meanwhile, the Apex Court has asked the Indian government to make a law on call drops similar to those in the US. 
 
The Cellular Operators' Association of India had approached the court challenging the Delhi High Court order which had upheld TRAI decision. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Telecos will not compensate for call drops as Supreme Court strikes down TRAI order

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (<keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TRAI">Trai</keyword>) is not an easy nut to crack and the telcos need to register this fact seriously. In a strict warning to India's top telcos and <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> Infocomm, Trai has given an ultimatum to resolve the contentious interconnect matter among themselves. Trai’s order comes with further warning that it would act if quality of service drops and consumers suffer, as reported by The Economic Times. 
 
"If quality of service suffers, if consumers suffer, Trai will take action. That is Trai's job," a senior official told ET on Friday after the meeting. "The telcos should sit across the table and resolve it." 
 The war has been waged by the top telcos like Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>, Vodafone and Idea against the newly launched Reliance Jio Infocom. Mukesh Ambani owned Jio had sought an adequate number of PoIs for their service to which the top telcos didn’t show much interest in. Citing traffic imbalance, the telcos have refused any additional PoIs to Jio. However after Friday’s meeting, an official of a top telco confirmed that they are willing to talk to Jio and provide ‘reasonable number’ of additional PoIs. 
 
What are these PoIs? PoIs are used to connect calls from one telecom operator to another. Jio has complained to Trai the other day that due to other telco’s non cooperation in giving adequate PoIs, the call quality is suffering. 
 
 
“We have put forth our point of view to Trai. It is for Trai to look into the matter. There is no time frame indicated by the Trai," Jio board member Mahendra Nahata told the ET after the meeting. "It is a fight for justice for Indian customers, and not those of Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone or Idea." 
 
In a statement, market leader Bharti Airtel said it will provide Jio more PoIs, as per the bilateral agreement signed between the two operators, so that customers aren't affected. Incumbent telcos had signed interconnect pacts with Jio back in 2014, confirmed the ET report. 
 
Traffic Tsunami 
 
While common mass are happy to know about the freebies of Reliance Jio’s welcome pack, Airtel is quite nervous about the asymmetric traffic tsunami that would result from Jio. Airtel has asked Trai to intervene to curb the asymmetric traffic that might result in abusing the network. 
 
"In this regard, IUC (interconnect usage charge) is an effective tool in the hands of Trai, which we hope they will use judiciously," Airtel said, adding that Trai should make sure pricing by any telco is "IUC compliant, non-predatory and non-discriminatory". 
 
Airtel expects that once Jio starts charging its customers from January 2017, there would be no issue. "The traffic will inevitably get to a more balanced level and PoIs will be less of an issue," said an Airtel release. Top telcos have earlier said they do not possess the financial or network resources to handle the imbalance of the huge traffic generated through Jio's network due to the free offers. 
 
According to the news report by The Economic Times, Trai Chairman RS Sharma did not attend the meeting, which was led by Secretary Sudhir Gupta. Other Trai members, representatives of incumbent telcos that included Bharti Airtel's Chief Regulatory Officer Ravi Gandhi, Vodafone India's P Balaji and Idea Cellular's Rajat Mukarji, besides Nahata of Jio were present. 
 
Rajan S Mathews, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents the top telcos as well as Jio, wasn't allowed to be part of the meeting, since only the three telcos were invited, marking a dramatic start to the crucial talks. At the meeting, incumbent telcos said given the volume of traffic from Jio, they can't give interconnect at 14 paise a minute which is very low. 
 
Jio countered saying the rate had been preset. Incumbents also said that traffic from Jio could go up to 4,000 minutes per user a month given the free voice offering, which would be practically impossible to handle, while Jio's officials said its traffic currently is 450 minutes per user a month. 
 
Where lies the end of the drama? 
It is believed that Trai has been able to bring some kind of end to a stalemate between Jio and incumbent carriers and the interconnection issue is expected to be sorted out within 90 days. 
 
Trai asked to increase points of interconnections incrementally. The regulator's concern was to improve service quality," Mathews said. "We expect Reliance Jio to start discussions with incumbent players and regulator should look into incremental numbers." During the meeting, incumbent telcos had sought clarity on whether the services of Jio were now "commercial". 
 
When told they were, incumbents pointed out that Jio then can't offer free services for more than 90 days. Sources at incumbent telcos also said they believe adequate PoIs have already been given for Jio which currently has some five million users, but are willing to give more once 70% capacity is reached for those existing PoIs. According to them, one PoI can support 12,000 subscribers, with Airtel itself having provided 700 of them. "As and when they (Jio) reach 70% capacity, they can request us, and we will provide incremental PoIs within 90 days, according to the ET news report.

TRAI plays the boss,
issues warning to Jio and other Telcos to settle their issue

Yesterday, we told you about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/TRAI-reminds-telecom-operators-to-compensate-customers-for-call-drops/articleshow/50436405.cms">TRAI’s reminder</a> to <keyword id="76827" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-telcos">Indian telcos</keyword> over rolling out the compensation for call drops, a persistent problem for Indian subscribers. 
 In yet another development, in the favor of <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>, the Indian government has given legal powers to the authority, which can ask carriers to pay the compensation. 
 
Talking about the whole issue, TRAI had asked Telcos to compensate customers Re 1 for each dropped call, for up to three calls a day. The scheme was to be started from January 1st, but the telcos moved the courts against the order. Even though the court didn’t put any stay on the order, it asked TRAI not to take any coercive action against them until the next hearing. 
 
<a href="http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/10/radio_tower.jpg">Image source</a>

TRAI gets government support regarding call drop compensation debate

<keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> has sought additional time till December 29 to respond to telecom regulator <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI">Trai</keyword>'s query on why the extension of its free voice and data plan should not be seen as the violation of existing norms that requires promotional offers to be limited to 90 days. 
 Trai had written to <keyword id="2003276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jio">Jio</keyword> on December 20 asking it to explain within five days why the 'Happy New Year offer' should not be seen as "violation" of regulatory guidelines and also why the offer of free data under the promotional scheme should not be treated as "predatory". 
 
According to sources, Reliance Jio has now written to Trai seeking additional time up to December 29 to send in its responses. 
 
An e-mail sent to Reliance Jio did not elicit any response. 
 
Last week, Trai - which is in the process of looking at Jio's new promotional offer - had said that preliminary examination of the new offer filed with it "prima facie" revealed that except for minor changes in the quantum of data in the new offer, filed with it "prima facie" revealed that except for minor changes in the quantum of data in the new offer, it seemed to be an extension of the old promotional offer beyond 90 days. 
 
Trai has also asked Jio to give an estimated month-wise projection of the number of subscribers that are expected to be added till March 31, 2017.

Reliance Jio seeks time till December 29 to respond to TRAI's queries

The <keyword id="30356" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/trai-to-penalise-airtel-vodafone-and-idea-for-choking-jio-pois/articleshow/58839878.cms">TRAI</a>) has banned mobile service providers from offering different plans to same category of subscribers after a complaint was filed by <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword>. This order would limit the incumbent <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/gst-implementation-to-be-difficult-for-mobile-companies/articleshow/58836618.cms">telcos</a> to sell customised plans in a bid to to lure customers against switching to Jio. "The authority directs all the Access Service Providers to ensure that all the tariffs offered to the consumers shall not be discriminatory between the subscribers of the same class, and to ensure that every tariff that is offered to a customer is invariably reported to the authority as per the reporting framework under the forbearance regime," said <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/trai-chief-rules-out-iuc-as-call-tariff-floor/articleshow/58511016.cms">TRAI</a> in a two-page order. Presently, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/small-business/companies/telcos-looking-for-new-sources-of-income/articleshow/58802856.cms">telcos</a> need to report all plans to <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword> within seven working days of introducing them. However, now the telcos won’t be be able to offer customized packs to an individual subscriber. These customised plans, when filed with TRAI, would also breach the limit of up to 25 plans a month that telcos can file, both postpaid and prepaid. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Airtel-and-Vodafone-to-lower-travel-tariffs-by-up-to-90/articleshow/58821779.cms">Airtel and Vodafone to lower travel tariffs by up to 90%</a> The order came after Reliance Jio informed TRAI that <keyword id="6354287" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword>, <keyword id="6354923" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vodafone-India">Vodafone India</keyword> and <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword> were offering special tariff vouchers to their users, so that they can stick with these telcos and not move to Jio. Incumbent telcos, however, denied all allegations, claiming that they were complying with all regulatory guidelines.

TRAI bars telcos from offering different plans to same category of subscribers

<keyword id="30356" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (TRAI) has rejected the telecom department's call to reconsider its recommendation of penalising <keyword id="6354287" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword>, <keyword id="6354923" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vodafone-India">Vodafone India</keyword> and <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword> with a fine of Rs 3,050 crore for not providing adequate points of interconnect (PoIs) to Reliance Jio. TRAI stressed that it has the adequate power required to suggest penal action on erring telcos keeping in mind the larger public interest. <keyword id="116246" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Department-of-Telecommunications">Department of Telecommunications</keyword> (DoT) had sent a letter to TRAI raising questions and objections against the penalty. In response, TRAI said that Airtel, Vodafone and Idea had willingly disobeyed the rules by denying PoIs in order to choke competition. This led to the quality of services being hampered, and ideally, should have led to the cancellation of licences. "The authority considered the fact that revocation of the licence will entail significant consumer inconvenience and, therefore, recommended a penal action of Rs 50 crore per licence area where points of interconnect congestion exceeded the allowable limit of 0.5%. Clearly, penalty to a telecom service provider amounts much less in severity than revocation of its licence," TRAI said in its response. DoT will now consider the response before taking a decision. (Image source FirstPost)

Airtel, Vodafone and Idea will definitely be penalised for 'choking' Jio PoIs, says TRAI

<keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> Infocomm has filed the tariffs of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/small-business/tech/heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-jios-latest-dhan-dana-dhan-tariff-plan/articleshow/58132024.cms">Dhan Dhana Dhan</a>, its latest offer to its subscribers - with <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>, after it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-the-actualreason-why-reliance-jio-had-to-scrap-extended-free-services-june/articleshow/58079160.cms">scrapped</a> telco's previous Summer Surprise plan offering <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/small-business/tech/Airtel-Vodafone-Ideas-asks-govt-to-stop-Jios-free-data-trial-offer/articleshow/53647221.cms">three months of complimentary services</a> for a monthly recharge of Rs 303 or more. "The plan was filed last (Monday) evening. Jio had till the end of the week to file it," a person familiar with the matter told <a href="http://m.economictimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/reliance-jio-files-tariffs-plan-of-latest-offer-dhan-dhana-dhan-with-trai/articleshow/58249570.cms">ET</a>. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/scared-of-jio-airtel-rolls-out-free-high-speed-data-for-postpaid-consumer/articleshow/58206612.cms">Scared of Jio: Airtel rolls out free high-speed data for postpaid consumer</a> The latest plan offers 84 days of services for a recharge of Rs 309 or more. "Telcos can make plans and file within seven days, so several hundred plans come to us, but I won't comment on any individual plan," Sharma said. "Whenever telecom companies file a plan, we examine it and decide on it - it's the normal procedure, so I can't comment on a plan or its nuances." While suspending the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/trai-orders-reliance-jio-to-withdraw-summer-surprise-offer/articleshow/58051579.cms">Summer Surprise</a> offer, TRAI had said that it did not fit into its regulatory framework, after Jio’s rival companies alleged that TRAI violated its own rules by allowing the offer. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/airtel-cries-foul-says-jio-took-too-much-time-to-comply-with-trai-order/articleshow/58104896.cms">Airtel cries foul, says Jio took too much time to comply with TRAI order</a> Even the telecom department had asked TRAI to be discrete while allowing successive promotional offers, as they hurt possible <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/promotional-plans-help-retain-customers-but-telecom-companies-lose-revenue-says-dot/articleshow/58060673.cms">government revenue</a>. (Image source)

You Searched For "TRAI" and got 12 results

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