Expect free roaming by October 2013: Kapil Sibal
Roaming charges to be abolished by October 2013, says Kapil Sibal at an event in Chandigarh.
The National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012 envisages free roaming across the country. Its implementation was expected to be begin March 2013, and now, it seems to have been delayed for another 4-5 months.
According to an Indian Express report, Union minister for Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal, said at an event in Chandigarh: “…free roaming will certainly be in place by the month of October, 2013”. The minister did not specify any particular date for the launch.
Back in December last year, a Times of India report had said free roaming has been listed among the ‘key initiatives to be completed within the next three months’.
Recently, the TRAI asked industry players to provide their views by March 18 on the ‘Review of Tariff for National Roaming’ consultation paper floated last month.
As per the NTP 2012, approved on May 2012, roaming has to be abolished in the country with the introduction of concept of “one nation, one rate.”
The proposed free roaming facility is meeting a strong resistance from the telecom operators, who fear a loss of about Rs. 13,500 crore in revenues. The Cellular Operators Associations of India has opposed the government’s free roaming plans, saying the DoT should first address a range of policy-related issues, such as migration to the unified licence before directing the telecom operators to end the charges.