Airtel, Vodafone, Idea slash national roaming charges

NEW DELHI: India's top telecom operators Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have announced they are cutting national roaming tariff, days after telecom regulator Trai reduced the ceiling tariffs. Airtel has made outgoing local SMS cheaper by up to 75%, whereas inter-circle SMSs will cost up to 74% less. Likewise, incoming call rates have been reduced up to 40%, whereas outgoing inter-circle call charges are now lower by 23%. Outgoing local calls will also be cheaper by up to 20%. Vodafone users will have to pay 25 paise on roaming for a local text message as compared to Re 1; and for STD texts, 38 paise from Rs 1.50 earlier in accordance with the new Trai guidelines, Vodafone India said in a statement. Outgoing local and STD calls will be charged at 80 paise and Rs 1.15 paise per minute as compared to Re 1 and Rs 1.50, respectively. Receiving calls on roaming for Vodafone users is also 40% cheaper now, down from 75p/min to 45p/min. Idea too will charge incoming calls at 45 paise/minute, a 40% reduction, while roaming anywhere in India, a company statement said. Outgoing local call rates have also been reduced by 20% and STD call rates by 23%. Local SMS will now cost 25 paise and STD SMS 38 paise, on roaming nationally. The revised tariff will be applicable from May 1 for all three telecom operators. Vodafone, the second-biggest telecom operator in the country, has introduced special roaming tariff plans for its prepaid and postpaid customers. At present, Vodafone India offers incoming free packs for prepaid and postpaid customers, under which incoming voice calls on national roaming are free on payment of fixed charge. The same has also been revised. Trai earlier this month cut the maximum or ceiling rate that a telecom operator can charge for STD calls on roaming to Rs 1.15 per minute from Rs 1.50. Similarly, national SMS rate has been reduced to 38 paise from Rs 1.5 per SMS. Also, an operator can charge a maximum of 25 paise only for a local SMS instead of the current Re 1 per SMS. TOI