No roaming charges from next year, says Sibal

Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Monday said mobile phone subscribers will not have to pay roaming charges from the next year.

He, however, did not specify the exact month from when the subscribers will be free from paying roaming charges for making calls from a location falling beyond their respective telecom circle.

The decision follows a new telecom policy which seeks to abolish roaming charges for mobile users across the country. The National Telecom Policy (NTP)-2012 was approved by the government earlier in May, this year.

Appreciating the move, Cellular Operators Association of India Director-General Rajan S Mathews pointed out that industry will have to work on the details of its implementation.

When asked about the impact on call rates after the abolition of roaming charges, he said: “That is a matter which we will have to work with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) which is ultimately responsible for fixing tariffs.”