Telcos' latest demand to expedite setting of a floor for tariffs by holding the open house discussions online, with Chairman RS Sharma has been rejected by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), saying the watchdog needs to look after consumers who are currently in distress, a view which dealt a huge setback for operators.
"It may be a better option that any further discussion on the issue (floor tariff) is held after the lockdown is completely lifted and normalcy is restored," said Sharma. He further added that the authority is conscious of its mandate, which is to protect the interests of consumers as well as to promote orderly growth of the sector.
Telecom carriers Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea last week once again pushed the regulator to accelerate the process of fixing floor for service tariffs, saying in the absence of any government relief, this step was key to long-term sustainability of the sector and for carriers to absorb the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues.
