Trai to wait for telcos to report revised pricing

New Delhi: The telecom regulator will wait for operators to report their new tariffs to the authority before taking a view on whether the revised pricing is within the regulatory framework, according to a Trai source.

Confronted with intense competition and unprecedented statutory dues, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea on Monday announced a hike in mobile phone call and data charges from December saying the increase was warranted for viability of their business.

The two, however, did not quantify the increase in rates but said that the hike will be effective beginning next month.

A senior Trai official said that the regulator will wait and watch to see the finer details of the announcement.

"Let them report the tariffs, and we will see. Also, the tariffs are under forbearance," the official said. Another official said that as things stand now there is no move to initiate any consultation on floor price.

On Monday evening, Vodafone Idea, said that it plans to raise tariffs for the first time in 3 years only to be followed by a similarly worded statement minutes later from Airtel.

Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, the two large telecom operators, last week had reported a combined loss of Rs 74,000 crore for the second quarter ended September 2019.