Free ring tones: MRTPC notices to mobile operators

The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission has issued notices to mobile operators Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Hutchison on a complaint over downloading of ring tones.

Taking cognizance of an advertisement claiming to provide free download of ring tones, MRTPC issued Notice of Enquiry against Airtel, Idea, Hutchison Essar Mobile Services and Hutchison Essar South Ltd.

The Commission also issued a notice to Bangalore-based telecom value added solution provider Onmobile Asia Pacific.
The bench headed by chairman Justice O P Dwivedi has directed the telecom operators and Onmobile along with media house Jagran Prakashan, which published the advertisement, to file replies within

four weeks.

The commission issued the notice after its investigative arm Director General of Investigation and Registration in its Preliminary Investigation Report found the operators, Jagran and Onmobile were using 'unfair trade practices'.

MRTPC had directed DGIR to look into the issue after it received a complaint from one Mohinder Singh Arya, who had alleged these companies were charging money despite claiming downloading free tones.

He also submitted a copy of such advertisement published in Hindi daily Dainik Jagran in which downloading was claimed as absolutely free. According to Arya, when he downloaded a tone from his cell phone, it cost him around Rs 25 per minute.

Later, he found the telecom company was charging for downloads. The fee was written in small fonts in the advertisement, he said.

DGIR said in its report all the companies were indulging in unfair trade practice, causing loss to mobile subscribers.