• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• The Hindu ePaper
• Business Line
• Business Line ePaper
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Thomas K Thomas

It involves multiple regulatory bodies and countries

New Delhi June 7 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's initiative to bring down international roaming rates may not bring results very quickly. TRAI had earlier requested the European Commission to extend the benefits of its recent decision to reduce roaming rates within Europe, to Indian mobile users.

The TRAI had also sent a proposal to SAARC countries to replicate the EU model within the region. However, both the proposals may not materialise.

The request to the EU could face stiff opposition from European operators who are still taking in the impact of reduction in roaming rates for European mobile users.

Political Status

"Operators had opposed reduction in roaming rates within EU and are not happy that the Commission has gone ahead with its plans despite the concerns expressed. In such a scenario, one cannot imagine operators agreeing to extend the reduction to another country or region," said an executive of a UK based mobile company.

On the other hand some of the countries in the SAARC region such as Pakistan are also not willing to talk cheap roaming given the political status between the two countries. "I think the TRAI proposal is too far fetched and may not be possible to implement in the light of the hostility between India and Pakistan," said an official from the Pakistan regulatory body.

Regulatory Bodies

If the EU agrees to the TRAI proposal then Indian operators will have to reciprocate by providing cheaper roaming services to Europeans travelling into the country.

While the Indian operators are not very keen on such an arrangement they also admit that the TRAI attempt is highly complex because it involves multiple regulatory bodies and countries, which have different agendas and mindset.

"Unlike Europe where the decision for all the member countries are taken by a single authority, TRAI's initiative cuts across a number of agencies making it a difficult proposition," said a Delhi based industry representative.

More Stories on : Telecommunications | Outlook | Regulatory Bodies & Rulings

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
`Leading edge' of reviving monsoon enters mainland

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line