‘Service providers must shun discriminatory phone tariffs’

TRAI tells telcos to notify rates within 7 days of introduction

NEW DELHI, 27/04/2012: The Supreme Court set up a joint expert panel to recommend the procedure for the telecom firms for properly identifying the customers before issuing SIM cards to them. A bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia said the panel comprising officials of the Department of Telecommunications and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will submit its report to the Government within three months and the bench passed the order on a plea by a petitioner seeking its direction to the Government to frame guidelines for telecom firms for issuing SIM cards, in New Delhi on April 27, 2012. Photo: V.V. Krishnan

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday sought to prevent service providers from offering discriminatory tariffs to the same category of subscribers and told them to file their tariff within seven days of introducing the rates — a move aimed at protecting the interests of consumers.

“...(tariff) shall not be discriminatory between subscribers of the same class and to ensure that every tariff that is offered to a customer is invariably reported to the Authority,” TRAI said in a directive to all service providers. TRAI stated that it had received complaints that some service providers were introducing tariffs without filing it with the regulator.

Reliance Jio had earlier this year filed a complaint with TRAI alleging “arbitrary discrimination between the subscribers of same class” by Bharti Airtel, leading to violation of tariff rules.

“As per the terms and conditions at Airtel website the ‘Free Data for 12 months worth ₹9,000’ offer can be availed only by the subscribers with new 4G handsets, that is 4G handsets that have previously not been used on Airtel’s network.”

This discriminated subscribers holding 4G handsets on the Bharti Airtel network, prior to the cut-off date, Reliance Jio said.

Further, the Authority said that while adoption forbearance regime in tariff, it has made it mandatory for all the service providers to file their tariffs within seven working days from the date of implementation of the said tariff.

“...the transparency in tariff offers to the consumers and observance of principles of non-discriminatory is required to protect interests of consumers and to facilitate orderly growth of telecom services in India,” it said.