As a great relief for frequent travellers around India, all major Indian telecom operators have cut down the cost on their national roaming rates for voice calls and SMS by up to 75 percent. This price cut comes after the recent tariff amendment from TRAI, that reduces ceiling tariffs for national roaming service thus making calls and SMS on roaming more affordable. While on roaming, voice call rates will be lots cheaper by around 50 percent and SMS by up to 75 percent.
According to the telecommunication tariff (6th amendment) order, TRAI has reduced the charges for outgoing local voice call while on national roaming from current Rs 0.80 per minute to Rs 0.65 per minute. Outgoing STD calls while on national roaming has been reduced from Rs 1.15 per minute to Rs 1 per minute. While rate for incoming voice calls on national roaming has been reduced to Rs 0.45 per minute from current Rs 0.75 per minute. In case of SMS rates, all outgoing local SMS on roaming being reduced to Rs 0.25 per SMS from current Rs 1 per SMS and all outgoing national SMS on roaming reduced to Rs 0.38 per SMS from current Rs 1 per SMS.
All leading telecom operators including Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Reliance, BSNL, Aircel, Tat Docomo and others has reduced their national roaming rates in accordance with TRAI’s latest amendment. Incoming voice calls while on roaming now got 40 percent cheaper, costing now Rs 0.45 per minute. Outgoing local voice calls on roaming will now cost Rs 0.80 per minute and STD voice calls on roaming at Rs 1.15 per minute. Sending local SMS on roaming will now cost Rs 0.25 per SMS and national SMS on roaming will cost Rs 0.38 per SMS.
This new rate cut on national roaming comes into effect across all Indian telecom operators from 1st May 2015.