Trai’s resolve on IUC extension relief for Airtel, Voda

In a big boost to Airtel and other old telcos, regulator Trai on Tuesday deferred by one year the scrapping of the charge paid by mobile phone users for calls made to rival networks and initiated talks to prescribe minimum or floor price for call and data, effectively ending free call regime.

Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, which are staring at a liability of thousands of crore in unpaid past statutory dues following a Supreme Court ruling, had been through their association pitching with the government for fixing of a floor rate for calls and data.

Their association had also been lobbying for extending the 6 paise per minute interconnect usage charge (IUC).