Lok Sabha Question No. 2345 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-30
Subject: Free Calling and Roaming
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: BANSHILAL MAHTO

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2345 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 TH  NOVEMBER, 2016

## FREE CALLING AND ROAMING

†2345. DR. BANSHILAL MAHATO:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  recently  a  private  mobile  service  provider  company  has  created  competitive environment for public sector mobile service providing companies Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)  and  Mahanagar  Telephone  Nigam  Limited  (MTNL)  along  with  other  private  mobile companies by offering free calling and roaming service to subscribers in the country;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  whether  the  Government  intends  to  provide  free  calling  facility across the country through mobile service providers;
- (c) if  so,  details thereof and whether the Government/Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has issued any directions to public and private mobile service provider companies in this regard;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  free  the  national  roaming  across  the  country  as envisaged in National Telecom Policy and if so, the details and present status of the proposal?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a)  to  (d) Yes  Madam,  RJIL  (Reliance  Jio  Infocomm  Limited)  has  launched  4G  services  in September, 2016 with voice calls free to any network across the country with no roaming charges. Hence,  RJIL  has  created  competitive  environment  for  public  sector  mobile  service  providing companies  Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  and  Mahanagar  Telephone  Nigam  Limited (MTNL) along with other private mobile companies by offering free calling and roaming service to subscribers in the country.

At present, the Government has no plan to provide free calling facility across the country through  mobile  service  providers  and  Government  has  not  issued  any  direction  to  public  and private mobile companies in this regard.

- (e) At present, the Government has no proposal to discontinue the roaming charges for mobile subscribers. However, TRAI through the Telecommunication Tariff (60 th Amendment) Order, 2015 dated  09.04.2015  prescribed  the  ceilings  for  tariff  for  voice  calls  and  SMS  while  on  national roaming,  which  came  into  effect  from  01.05.2015.  Details  of  national  roaming  tariff  are  given below:

| Item                                             | Ceiling tariff as per TTO (60 th Amendment), 2015   |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| Outgoing local voice call                        | Re.0.80 per minute                                  |
| Outgoing long distance (inter-circle) voice call | Re.1.15 per minute                                  |
| Incoming voice call                              | Re.0.45 per minute                                  |
| Outgoing local SMS                               | Rs.0.25 per SMS                                     |
| Outgoing long distance (inter circle) SMS        | Re.0.38 per SMS                                     |

Through this amendment Order, TRAI has mandated the TSPs to offer a Special Roaming Tariff Plan to its pre-paid and post-paid subscribers wherein incoming voice calls while on national roaming shall be free, on payment of fixed charge, if any.

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