Make Caller Id Charge Optional, Says Trai

[coolrajiv 1]

Regulator sets a 15-day deadline for mobile operators to restructure their tariff plans

Times News Network

August 29, 2007

New Delhi: Telecom regulator Trai has directed telcos not to levy a compulsory charge for Caller Line Identity Presentation (CLIP). Operators have been given 15 days to restructure their existing tariff plans to make CLIP charges optional for subscribers.

“It has come to our notice that service providers are providing CLIP as a compulsory chargeable value-added service. Since the incremental cost of providing the facility has been found to be negligible, we find no justification in their doing this,” Trai says in a release.

With this, Trai has had to recall an earlier direction of 16 September, 2005 which states that all monthly fixed recurring charges, including Caller Line Identity Presentation, which are compulsory for a subscriber under any given tariff plan shall be shown under one head to make it easier for the consumer to make a choice from among all tariff plans available in the market.

Trai has not mandated a cost-based tariff for Caller Line Identity Presentation facility in line with its policy of tariff forbearance.

However, Trai’s direction offers a strong contradiction as licence conditions ensure CLI is required mandatorily. This means the caller has to transmit and the called party has to receive the CLI.

If either of this does not happen, the very purpose of CLI is lost. Further, if the charge becomes optional, then subscribers may turn around and ask CLI to be removed while receiving calls, especially as incoming calls are free.

Consumers choice in this case, will defeat the very purpose of a mandatory CLI, which is a vital component of national security. “Trai’s own contention that the cost of CLI is negligible points to the need for a simpler direction to maintain mandatory CLI on the caller’s and receiver’s phone by simply abolishing the charge for it,” says an expert.

It appears further clarifications will be sought by both operators and subscribers on how this should be implemented, especially given the security conditions in the licence and a staggeringly high use of mobile phones in terrorist attacks which have already claimed 47,371 lives between 1994 and 2005 in India.

[Arun 795]

: TRAI's Press Release

[murlidar 0]

: TRAI's Press Release

What will happen to Life900 plan subscribers as the only charge they pay is Rs.50/= for clip and no other commitment?

[Honest 836]

^^^

@murlidar

My dear friend, they will continue to pay Clip charges for Rs.50/- in LIFE900 plan. As it is clearly mentioned in the TRAI's recommendations that operators must levy CLIP charges to the customers compulsarily. That means if any customer doesn't want to have CLIP facility on their number than it will be barred from the operater and no CLIP charges will be applied in the bill. But as of todays scenario CLIP is useful to everyone. Everybody wants to have CLIP excep some 1%. Even if CLIP is not mandatory then also customer will choose to have CLIP facility on their numbers.

Regards.

[HetalDP 947]

^^^

@murlidar

My dear friend, they will continue to pay Clip charges for Rs.50/- in LIFE900 plan. As it is clearly mentioned in the TRAI's recommendations that operators must levy CLIP charges to the customers compulsarily. That means if any customer doesn't want to have CLIP facility on their number than it will be barred from the operater and no CLIP charges will be applied in the bill. But as of todays scenario CLIP is useful to everyone. Everybody wants to have CLIP excep some 1%. Even if CLIP is not mandatory then also customer will choose to have CLIP facility on their numbers.

Regards.

NO

TRAI have said if the Operator is leving the Rent for CLIP then CLIP Facility must be Optional so the User may choose to have CLIP or not if any Operator gives it free then TRAI dont have any Objection to that.

[copperco2 24]

but i guess the choice of clip to be optional was already there. i had taken the facility some years back...

it must be for some special plans where the monthly commit is low. to prop that up the CLIP has been made mandatory..

[Honest 836]

^^^

In my point of view CLIP should be made free from all operators to their customers. CLIP is a necessity now a days my dear friends.

Regards.

[HetalDP 947]

So many Operator dont have facility to make it diasbled so this is TRAI Idea to Indirectly make this Servie Free or to Adjust into Rental Plan

[murlidar 0]

So many Operator dont have facility to make it diasbled so this is TRAI Idea to Indirectly make this Servie Free or to Adjust into Rental Plan

Life 900 Plan subscribers don't have any monthly commitment other than Rs.50/= for clip. They pay only for the actual usage which can be nil if used only for incoming. In view of the new TRAI directive to make clip charges optional, Life900 subscribers can remain on the network without paying anything for lifetime.

[kesav 127]

TRAI has also issued directive to bring all monthly commitment under one head.

Therefore there won't any plan/membership charges or mandatory clip charges any more for any plan.

It would help us to compare the plans between different operators in a vanilla way.

Reliance has to reformat NJ399,NJ499,NJ649,NJ 299 Super Saver since titles of these plans doesn't reflect the actual rent.

These plans have plan charges which is against the directive of TRAI.

TRAI is doing great job...... :clap:

I would like to request TRAI to bring in the same directive for prepaid also.

Just 4 terms MRP, Talktime, Validity and Rollover.

There shouldn't be different validity for talktime and incoming.

All types of vouchers can be broad under above 4 parameters.

RCV,STV(0 talktime,no rollover),Top-Up(0 validity, no rollover).

Coming back to postpaid I've a request for TRAI to frame a naming convention for postpaid plans which reflects the actual monthly rental and the circle where its targeted.

[raccoon 53]

Also, operators should not be allowed to charge processing fee for top-ups (for pre-paid). Its preposterous to have to pay additional charges when you already have validity and have paid the "rental" (or fixed charges) once!

Charging processing fees when you have validity means that you are in effect paying a much higher "rental"!

[kesav 127]

Even after the set deadline of 15 days has passed till operators have not obeyed the direction given by TRAI.

CLIP has been made optional by all operators.

But the other directive has not been adhered to atleast by TATA and Reliance. (source :: Their own websites)

I've not checked other operators website.

The directive is to bring all the monthly mandatory components under one head for every postpaid plan.

Most of the plans of Reliance and "DoMore0123" plan of TATA till exhibits plan charges in addition to monthly rental.

This is clear violation of TRAI's direction.

What can TRAI do now?

Send show cause notice. That would be really comical.

The purpose of show cause notice is to get the roadblocks in impelemnting the directions.

The things like these(which can be implemented quite easily) doesn't need any show cause notices since the explanation which you'll receive from operators would be highly foolish.

Its time TRAI proves its authority.

Fine the operators heavily straightaway.

Only then atleast easy to implement directions are adhered to immediately and TRAI would be freed from following it up like village school master(checking his wards for homework).