Trai agrees with DoT idea for free roaming

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has asked the department of telecommunications to allow roll-out of mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) in the national telecom policy.

The regulator has also agreed to the one-nation, one-licence proposal, which will make roaming free across the country. But it wants to decide the modalities of the issue.

MVNOs do not own spectrum but buy bulk minutes of traffic from mobile companies to sell to their subscribers.

"The move is eventually towards achieving one-nation, one-licence by providing for full mobile number portability and removal of roaming charges. Decisions on both will be taken by Trai," the regulator said. It said Trai would consider minimising inter-operator costs in fixing rates, so as to facilitate affordability to consumers.

This is part of the Trai comments it sent to the government on the draft of the National Telecom Policy (NTP)

issued by the telecom department last year. It is expected that the policy will be finalised by April this year.

The draft NTP talks about reviewing the Trai Act  to remove regulatory inadequacies, which prevent it from effectively discharging its functions. Trai has asked for penal and enforcement powers so as to enable it to protect the interest of consumers by ensuring compliance of its regulations or orders by the service providers.

"To confer powers of civil court on Trai to enable the authority to summon persons and receive evidence and also call for expert advice while conducting enquiry", it said.

It also said that government should enforce rural roll-out obligations through appropriate disincentives against non-performance and appropriate incentives for performance.