India’s telecom regulator TRAI has issued a directive banning all licensed telecom operator in India from offering differential (or discriminatory) tariffs to a set or class of subscribers. TRAI also ordered telcos to “invariably” file all new tariff packs to the regulator after being offered in the market. Telecommunication Tariff Order 1999, has forbidden this practice, but TRAI says that it went ahead with the directive after it received several complaints wherein telcos were found to offer discriminatory tariffs without filing it with the regulator. Currently, the tariff regime allows telcos to launch the packs first and then file it with TRAI for compliance. Note that TRAI had looked at redefining the meaning of “discriminatory” in the context of tariff packs in its consultation paper on promo packs in February. TRAI said that some telcos were found offering free data…
