Calls, SMS on national roaming to get cheaper from July 1

 
If the high tariff while on national roaming has    been putting you off thus far, TRAI promises a new beginning come July 1, 2013. 

In a press note, the body has confirmed that come that date, subscribers will have to pay lesser for calls and SMSes while on national roaming. TRAI has reduced ceilings for calls and SMS on national roaming. In addition to that, the body has also put forth two types of free national roaming plans to be offered by all telcos. Starting July 1, 2013, ceilings for national roaming calls and SMS will be a reduced – Re 1 per minute for outgoing local calls and Rs 1.50 per minute for outgoing STD calls on national roaming, against Rs 1.40 per minute and Rs 2.40 per minute, respectively.

Calls on roaming to get cheaper

TRAI has also reduced ceiling tariffs for incoming calls while on national roaming from Rs 1.75 per minute to 75 paise per minute. As for SMSes, outgoing local SMSes will cost Re 1 per SMS, while outgoing STD SMSes will cost Rs 1.50 per SMS. Incoming SMSes will remain free. 

In a pensive tone, TRAI notes that having fully free roaming is "simply not practicable at this juncture". If it would happen now, telcos would be unable to recover their costs from those on national roaming, and would in turn, pass hese costs on to subscribers by way of higher tariffs. In working towards free roaming, TRAI has also borne in mind the need to keep costs to roamers at a minimum. With this in mind, TRAI has also decided to allow roamers to avail benefits of Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) and Combo Vouchers, that were thus far only for home tariffs. 

Not only that, TRAI has also allowed telcos to offer special plans for subscribers on roaming, wherein the latter can opt for partially free roaming or fully free roaming.