Continue with printed bills as default, TRAI to telcos

Notwithstanding efforts to go paperless by the Narendra Modi government, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to continue with the existing regulatory provision of printed copies of phone bills.

Per the regulatory provision, printed copy of bills shall be made available to landline and mobile postpaid subscribers free of cost, as a default option, and e-bills can be provided with subscribers’ explicit consent, TRAI said.

“Keeping in view the demographic structure of India, literacy rate, size of non-e-literate population, limitation of senior citizens/ disadvantaged groups and rural population, time is still not ripe for making e-bill as a default option,” it said.