Mobile users could be free from paying roaming charges within the country in the next three months. The Department of Telecom has set a three-month target to work out the modalities for waiving roaming charges. A policy on introducing pan-India mobile number portability is also likely to be implemented by March.
Once roaming charges are waived, mobile users will be able to get incoming calls free of charge and outgoing calls at local rates while travelling anywhere in the country.
The policy was approved by the Union Cabinet in May but the Telecom Department has not yet moved on implementing it. At the time of announcing the policy, the Telecom Ministry had not specified any timeframe for making roaming free.
Mobile companies are against abolishing roaming tariffs as this will affect their revenues. Operators charge Re 1 per minute for incoming calls and Rs 1.50 per minute for outgoing calls while roaming. SMS is also priced at Rs 1.50 per message.
Once the roaming charges are abolished, then consumers will get free incoming calls and outgoing calls will be at local call rates.
Unified licensing
But before this is implemented, the Department will have to take a decision on pan-India unified licensing. It will also have to take TRAI’s views on key issues such as numbering plan and interconnection to facilitate free roaming services.
This is part of a seven-point plan which the Telecom Ministry wants to implement in the next three months, according to an internal DoT note seen by Business Line .
This plan includes introducing intra-circles mobile number portability. As of now, a mobile user can use number portability services within the same circle. So if a user moves from Delhi to Mumbai and wants to change his operator he is not able to retain the phone number as of now. But once intra-circle MNP is introduced, then a user can transfer his phone number to any operator anywhere in the country.