In order to understand the requirements for the elderly individuals, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday has floated a consultation paper asking if there is a need for separate plans for Voice and SMS, and data to meet the specific requirements of such subscribers, because they are not onto social media or watching OTTs.
In the consultation paper titled – “Review of Telecom Consumer Protection Regulation (TCPR), 2012” — TRAI is seeking comments from the stakeholders asking if the current tariff plans offered by telecom service providers (TSPs) align with the preferences and usage patterns of consumers, particularly elderly individuals.
Bundled plans
TRAI said despite the prevalence of bundled plans that include both data and voice & SMS services, many consumers find themselves paying for data they do not use.
“This consultation paper intends to explore the requirement of introducing product specific (Voice/SMS/Data and combinations thereof) tariff offerings in addition to present tariff offerings and make required changes in the current tariff regulatory framework,” TRAI said in the paper.
It said the aim of this consultation paper is to review the provisions regarding different types of tariff offerings. In this regard, a consumer survey was also done under the aegis of TRAI in respect of “Tariffs of telecommunication services and related issues” to initiate consultation process on several issues like “choice of tariff availability” and “validity of vouchers”.
“Further, considering the request of telecom industry the issue of “colour coding of vouchers” and “denomination vouchers” has also been identified for consultation,” it said.
Vouchers
Other questions for consultation include whether the maximum validity of special tariff vouchers (STVs) and combo vouchers (CVs) for consumers should be increased, and if there are specific consumer segments that would benefit from longer validity periods for the STVs and CVs.
TRAI said various stakeholders have expressed a strong preference for extending the validity period of STVs and CVs beyond the current 90-day limit. This extension would allow for the creation of packages with longer validity periods, addressing the needs of a diverse customer base, it said.
Top-up options
Also, in the present situation where recharge of vouchers is carried out through digital mode, TRAI is seeking suggestion if there is any relevance of reserving denomination of ₹10 and multiple thereof only for Top-up vouchers, and whether all types of vouchers can be allowed to be offered in any denomination of the choice of service provider.
The sector regulator has sought the written comments on the consultation paper from the stakeholders by August 16, and counter comments, if any, by August 23, 2024.