Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has reduced ceiling tariffs for national roaming calls and short message services (SMS) and has mandated telecom service providers (TSPs) to offer a special roaming tariff plan. These changes will come into effect from the May 1, 2015.
The new national roaming tariff on outgoing local voice call was revised to Re. 0.8 per minute, a reduction of 20% compared to Re. 1 per minute. Outgoing long distance (inter-circle) voice call while on national roaming will be charged at Re. 1.15 per minute compared to Re. 1.50 per minute, a reduction of 23%.
Similarly, incoming voice call while on national roaming will be charged at Re. 0.45 per minute as compared to Re. 0.75 per minute, a reduction of 40%.
Outgoing local SMS while on national roaming will be charged at Re. 0.25 per SMS compared to Re. 1 per SMS, a reduction of 75%. Outgoing long distance (inter-circle) SMS while on national roaming will be charged at Re. 0.38 per SMS compared to Re. 1.50 per SMS, a reduction of 75%.
Through this amendment Order, the authority has mandated the TSPs to offer a special roaming tariff Plan to its pre-paid and post-paid subscribers. In special roaming tariff plan, incoming voice calls while on national roaming shall be free, on payment of fixed charge.
National roaming service is the facility provided to a subscriber to avail services subscribed in its home network, while travelling outside the geographical coverage area of the home network, by means of using a visited network.
As per the existing framework for telecom access services, the country has been divided into 22 licensed service areas. Licenses are issued separately for each licensed service area. When a subscriber avails mobile services outside his home network, within the country, national roaming becomes applicable.