TRAI Floats New Consultation Paper On IUC And ITC: Here Are The Detail

The Interconnection Usage Charges (IUC) has been a bone of contention between Reliance Jio and other telecom operators. But now, the TRAI has come up with a new consultation paper, where the regulator has highlighted that the domestic market is changing from voice-centric to data-centric.

"The Authority noted that it shall closely monitor the trends and patterns of International Long Distance (ILD) voice traffic in the country. In The Authority, also noted that, if it deems necessary, it may review International Termination Charge (ITC) from time to time," Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) informed in its consultation paper.

TRAI has highlighted that the domestic market composition is changing from voice-centric to data-centric, and the tariff offerings are changing from the pricing of individual products like voice, data, messages, etc. To bundled offers comprising of voice, data, and messages together. Similarly, in the case of international roaming also, tariff packages for bundles comprising of the certain pre-fixed quantity of incoming and outgoing voice calls, data, and messages are becoming popular.

The regulator said that "Further to analyze the trends in incoming and outgoing ILD voice traffic volume, from time to time, the Authority collected the data relating to international incoming and outgoing voice traffic through carrier route. The analysis of this data indicates that the rate of decline of international incoming voice traffic through the carrier route has reduced after the revision of ITC rates in 2018."

In fact, TRAI also pointed out that the last amendment to the IUC Regulation was carried out last year. This amendment brought down the termination charge for an international incoming call to wireline and wireless networks to Rs.0.30 per minute w.e.f. 01.02.2018. For the unaware, IUC allows consumers of one telecom operator to call or to communicate with the consumers of the other service provider.