TRAI moots idea of tariff calculator

New Delhi: Telecom regulator Trai on Wednesday invited public views on enhancing transparency in disclosure of phone services rates and mooted an idea of introducing tariff calculator to help customers find the best plans to suit their usage.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has sought views on higher transparency in details of unlimited data plans, where promised speed is provided only up to a certain level of usage and information is concealed in service thereafter.

"The transparency in communication is not only relevant to ensure that consumers benefit from the access to critical information regarding the product/service but also to maintain and increase the competition intensity, vital for growth and development of the sector," Trai said in its consultation paper on transparency in publishing of tariff offers.

The consultation paper from Trai has been issued when telecom operators have announced their plan to raise tariffs. The regulator has floated proposal to ask telecom operators to retain details of old plans, while they publish information around new plans. It said that telecom operators publish new plans and delete old plans, which creates information vacuum for the subscribers who are on old plans.