Here is some good news for the mobile users; starting next year you can travel around the country without paying any roaming charges. Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said “Mobile phone subscribers will not have to pay roaming charges from next year”. “Our secretary has told you that it will be free from next year,” Sibal said clearing the doubts on the timing of slashing off the roaming charges as projected in the National Telecom Policy 2012. Kapil Sibal divulged the details to media regarding roaming charges policy in the curtain raiser event of India Internet Governance Conference. According to NTP 2012, mobile phone subscribers don’t have to pay any extra amount which is known as roaming charges once they step out of their telecom circle. Also, Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar said “The Department of Telecom (DoT) is working on Notice Inviting Applications for spectrum auction after which it will work on unified licence (UL) guidelines – also a part of the NTP 2012”. “We are first going to attend to all issues linked to auction. The moment NIA is issued this week, we will focus on UL. After details of full UL are worked out, the modalities for free roaming will follow,” he said. As calendared, NIA will be issued on September 28. GSM industry body COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews said “He appreciates the concept of free roaming, but added that industry will have to work on details of implementation of ‘One Nation – Free Roaming’ ”. When media asked about the affect the policy would have on call rates, Mathews said, “That is matter which we will have to work with Trai (telecom regulator). Trai is ultimately responsible for setting the tariffs…We hope that Trai will follow due process of consultation paper”.
