Trai talks to Vodafone Idea, Airtel over minimum recharge plans

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) confronts Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea for warning subscribers of getting a minimum recharge plans and failing to do will have their sim deactivated. 

A report in ET quoted the Trai letter to both of the firms, “Trai has received a large number of complaints regarding SMSs being received by them to mandatorily recharge their prepaid accounts in order to continue to avail services even though their prepaid account have sufficient balance in it.” 
The regulator wrote in similar but separate letters to the two telcos dated November 27, the report said. 

The regulator met with the telcos on November 26 and sent out the letters a day later, the report mentioned. 

Meanwhile, Regulator Trai met top officials of telecom companies on Wednesday to discuss the major issues that should be taken up for deliberation during 2019.

Trai Chairman R S Sharma along with other senior officials was present at the agenda-setting meeting with chief executives of telecom companies, two persons familiar with the development told PTI.

The industry-wide discussion is now an annual affair and the priority areas for 2018, too, were drawn up through a prior discussion with industry players.

A similar exercise is also expected to be held with broadcasting firms, although the date for that is yet to be finalised, a Trai official said.

An industry source told PTI said the telecom operators could look for some clarity on the road map and timing for 5G auctions at the upcoming meeting. The industry -- which is not generating enough cash to even service loans -- may also rake up the issue of high levies such as spectrum usage charges.