Trai seeks additional information from Bharti Airtel and Vodafone on tariff hike

NEW DELHI: Not satisfied with their replies, telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has sought additional information from leading service providers, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone, on their recent decision to hike mobile tariffs by up to 20%.

“Trai has received replies from various operators and we have asked for some more inputs from some of the service providers for their reasons to hike tariffs,” a Trai source said. Earlier, the Trai had sent letters to all the companies that recently hiked tariffs, seeking their justification for the tariff hike.

Companies like Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Vodafone and RCOM recently raised tariffs for their services by about 20% in most operating circles. Most of the companies cited inflationary pressure in the country as being responsible for the tariff hike.

Industry experts are of the view that the hike in mobile tariffs is anticonsumer and it will only result in an abnormal increase in companies’ profits. Most of the operators have been given spectrum free of cost so that they can provide affordable services.