The telecom operators have requested the regulator for fastening the process of setting up floor data tariffs and also look into its decision of not regulating communication apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp. In a meeting with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) new chief, PD Vaghela, the telecom operators have urged him to avail the valuable E & V airwaves for the auction. For the unaware, these particular airwaves are essential for the telecom operators in providing 5G services. More on the story ahead.
Debt Laden Telcos Urge the Regulator to Set Floor for Data Tariffs
As per an Economic Times report, after the AGR verdict was out, the telecom operators had requested Trai to set a floor for data tariffs along with other relief measures so that some pressure can be eased off from them. “We have pointed out to the new chairman that Trai’s recommendations on setting a floor for data tariffs are pending for several months, and he has assured the industry he will examine the matter closely,” SP Kochhar, director general, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) told the paper. The new Trai chief, PD Vaghela will have to solve this issue in a way which doesn’t affect either the telcos or the consumers in a negative manner. The operators have also requested Vaghela to look into Trai’s decision of not regulating over-the-top (OTT) apps such as Google, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Last month, on the same matter, Trai had expressed that there is no need for it to intervene with the privacy and security related to OTT services as of now. But the regulator ensured that it will tap all the market developments of the OTT platforms and in case there is a need to intervene in the future, it will do so unhesitatingly. COAI tends to believe that Trai’s move of ignoring the OTT players is directly undermining national security. It further said that the telcos remain to be under strict regulatory and licensing rules whereas the OTT platforms have much more independence to operate putting the operators in a disadvantageous position.
