Vodafone Idea moves TDSAT against Trai order withholding premium plans

Vodafone Idea on Monday moved the TDSAT against the Trai order which asked the telecom firm to put on hold its RedX premium plan that offer faster data speeds and priority services to its customers.

Bharti Airtel is also likely to move the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal soon, sources in the telecom firm said.

Earlier, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had blocked Bharti Airtel’s Platinum and Vodafone Idea’s RedX premium plans which offer faster data speeds and priority services to customers.

While asking two companies to withhold the two schemes till further order, the Trai said such scheme might harm the service quality of mobile users.

The regulator, which is studying whether these two offers by the telecom companies violates net neutrality, also asked telecom firms to clarify in one week whether the customers of these two plans were entitled to higher 4G speeds at the cost of service deterioration to other mobile users.

Bharti Airtel on last Monday announced new scheme in which it will give preference to platinum mobile customers, who pay Rs 499 and above per month for post paid connection, on its 4G network. The platinum customers will get better 4G speed on Airtel network compared to other customers, the company said.

Vodafone Idea in November introduced its RedX plan, offering up to 50 per cent faster speeds and special services.