Airtel, Reliance Curb roaming Tariffs

According to reports, both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications have reduced roaming tariffs and also scrapped rental rates for roaming services with effect from today, following the guidelines issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) last month.

Bharti Airtel, which has slashed roaming charges by 56 percent as compared with the current market rates, hopes that this move will definitely benefit its over 33 million subscribers.

After the reduction, a mobile user on roaming would be charged at Rs.1.40 per minute for making a local call as against existing rates of Rs.2.89-3.09. The charges for making STD calls on roaming would come down to Rs.2.40 per minute and that for incoming calls while roaming will be charged at Rs.1.75 per minute. The current charge for receiving incoming calls and making STD calls while roaming stand at Rs.3.54-3.99 respectively.

Moreover, Bharti Airtel has also waived off the roaming rental of Rs.49 per month along with the charges of the outgoing SMS while roaming that would now cost Rs.2 as against Rs.3.45.

Speaking at the occasion, Sanjay Kapoor, Joint President - Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, said that they now usher in an era of simplified roaming tariffs wherein all Airtel mobile users will benefit from their seamless network and have the opportunity to make calls while traveling anywhere in India.

In a similar development, Reliance Communications has also reduced roaming charges by up to 44 percent on its pre-paid connections.

After the reduction, the company's local outgoing calls for roaming on mobile and fixed lines stands at Rs.1.40, inter circle outgoing at Rs.2.40, and incoming on roaming at Rs.1.75 per minute. However, Reliance Communications does not charge any roaming fees from their post-paid customers.

It is, meanwhile, learnt that the reduction in tariff is in line with pricing changes ordered by the TRAI in January this year, under which a reduction in roaming tariff of up to 56 percent had been stipulated for operators, besides an abolition of roaming rental charges and surcharge on national roaming services.

source: Techtree