TRAI prohibits tariff plans with misleading titles

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has prohibited operators from using misleading titles to promote their tariffs and hiking of rates under a plan for six months from the enrolment date, even though they are free to reduce call rates.

''No tariff plan should be offered, presented, marketed or advertised in a manner that is likely to mislead the subscribers. For example, title of a tariff plan, which suggests absence of rental, (like 'zero rental') would be misleading if the plan has monthly mandatory fixed charge in one form or other,'' TRAI said in its Consumers' Handbook on Telecommunications.

All monthly fixed recurring charges, which are compulsory for a subscriber, should be shown under one head, it added.

Operators would also have to publish all tariff plans in prescribed formats in at least one regional language newspaper and one English newspaper at an interval not more than six months, it added.

Besides, telecom operators can't increase tariffs of subscriber plans for six months from the enrolment date but they are free to reduce call rates at the same time, it said.

"A tariff plan once offered by an access provider shall be available to a subscriber for a minimum period of six months from the date of enrolment of the subscriber to that tariff plan," Trai said.