Lok Sabha Question No. 141 (STARRED), answered on 2015-12-09
Subject: Free National Roaming
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: DIPSINH SHANKARSINH RATHOD, SURESH KODIKUNNIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.141

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 th  December, 2015

## FREE NATIONAL ROAMING

## *141.  SHRI D.S. RATHOD:

## SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

Will  the  Minister  of  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the National Telecom Policy 2012 envisages free National roaming and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and other telecom service providers have introduced free national roaming and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  time  by  which  the  plan  is  likely  to  be  implemented  by  all  the  service providers;
- (d) the likely impact of free national roaming on the revenues of service providers; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  also  proposes  to  abolish  STD  charges  for  mobile subscribers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

## STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.141 FOR 9 th December, 2015 REGARDING 'FREE NATIONAL ROAMING'.

(a) to (e) One  of  the  objectives  of  the  New  Telecom  Policy  -  2012  is  to  work towards 'one nation - free roaming'.

As per the provisions of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act, 1997 as amended from time to time, TRAI prescribes tariffs for telecommunication services in India.

TRAI  has  issued  60 th Amendment  to  Telecom  Tariff  Order  (TTO),  1999  (3  of 2015) which is effective from 1 st May, 2015.  This amendment has mandated 'Special Roaming Tariff Plan' or SRTP, which means a tariff plan in which on payment of fixed charge, if any, the incoming voice call while on national roaming is free.  Every service provider  has  to  offer  a  special  roaming  tariff  plan  to  its  pre-paid  and  post  paid subscriber.    In  compliance  to  above  provisions,  all  telecom  service  providers  are offering SRTP across all circles.

At per present tariff orders, service providers are permitted to offer tariff plans to suit the requirement of  various needs of subscribers.

Further following tariffs are applicable in Cellular Mobile Telecom Services as per the 60 th Amendment to TTO, 1999 by TRAI:

| Item                                                                                             | Tariff                                                                                                                                          |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| '14.a) National roaming                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                 |
| 14.a.i) Fixed charge for national roaming                                                        | Nil Provided that Special Tariff Voucher and Combo Voucher shall be permitted and in case of SRTP, the fixed charge shall be under forbearance. |
| 14.a.ii) Charges for outgoing local voice call while on national roaming                         | Ceiling of Re. 0.80 per minute                                                                                                                  |
| 14.a.iii) Charges for outgoing long distance (inter-circle) voice call while on national roaming | Ceiling of Rs. 1.15 per minute                                                                                                                  |

Contd…….3/-

| 14.a.iv) Charges for incoming voice call while on national roaming                                                | Ceiling of Re. 0.45 per minute   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 14.a.v) Charges for outgoing local Short Message Services(SMS) while on national roaming                          | Ceiling of Re. 0.25 per SMS      |
| 14.a.vi) Charges for outgoing long distance (inter-circle) Short Message Services (SMS) while on national roaming | Ceiling of Re. 0.38 per SMS      |
| 14.a.vii) ) Charges for incoming Short Message Services (SMS) while on national roaming                           | Nil                              |
| 14.a.viii) Surcharge while national roaming                                                                       | Nil                              |
| 14.ab) International roaming                                                                                      | Forbearance                      |
| 14.ac) Any other item related to roaming but not falling under sub-item (14.a) and (14.ab) above.                 | Forbearance.'                    |

All the wireless access service providers have atleast one tariff plan in which the incoming calls while roaming are free.

Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  has  launched  free  incoming  voice  call facility  while  in  National  Roaming  under  all  post-paid  and  prepaid  GSM  mobile  plans offered to subscribers initially for a period of One year w.e.f. 15.06.2015.

Impact  of  free  national  roaming  on  the  revenues  of  service  providers  would depend  on  assumption  on  price  elasticity,  breakup  of  incoming  and  outgoing  calls, Termination  Charge  and  Carriage  Charge.  In  February,  2013,  as  part  of  consultation process for review of national roaming tariff, TRAI had estimated total impact on annual revenue  on  wireless  access  service  providers  upon  implementation  of  HPR  (Home Tariff=Roming Tariff) as Rs.1627 crores. This estimate is based on data received from the  service  providers  and  assumptions  on  price  elasticity,  breakup  of  incoming  and outgoing calls, Termination Charge and Carriage Charge.

At present there is no proposal under consideration to abolish STD charges for mobile subscribers as the STD charges are under forbearance.

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