Telcos seek floor price for data for 2-3 yrs, oppose any ceiling

New Delhi: Access service providers have suggested that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) fixes a floor price for only data services for 2-3 years to restore the financial health of the sector.

In their comments on Trai’s consultation paper on floor pricing, the three private telcos- Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea – have recommended Trai to regulate data tariffs but continue to keep voice tariffs under forbearance. Operators have also rejected any need for setting a price ceiling.

While Airtel and Vodafone Idea want a cost-based methodology to arrive at a floor, Jio said that it must be determined on headline tariffs rather than realised tariffs.