Congress MP asked, in an unstarred question, the Ministry over the tariff hike of 15 percent (average) by three leading mobile service providers with effect from July 3, 2024. Surjewala further asked the Ministry;

“Whether Government or Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) have conducted any study on need of CAPEX or impact on profitability by purchase of spectrum through auction after taking into account previous set of concessions on AGR payable under Telecom Policy, 1999; and whether any steps have been taken by Government or TRAI to protect 109 crore consumers from this yearly cellphone charges – an increase of ₹34,824 crore – by telecom companies?”

In response, the Union Minister Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar provided the information in relation to the questions asked by Congress MP Surjewala.

Pemmasani said that “Yes, tariff has recently been hiked by M/s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, M/s Bharti Airtel Ltd and M/s Vodafone Idea Ltd and as per the extant regulatory tariff provisions, tariff for telecommunication service is under forbearance except for services such as National Roaming, Rural Fixed Line Services, USSD services, mobile number portability charges and leased circuits etc. It implies that the TSPs are fee to fix tariff for telecommunication services in a competitive market. However, as per the requirements of the Telecommunication Tariff Order (TTO), the TSPs are obligated to file their tariffs with TRAI within 7 working days of their launch in the market”

Union Minister also said that “these tariffs are then examined for their compliance with the regulatory principles which include inter alia, the principles of transparency, non-predation and non-discrimination. It may further be mentioned that the Indian telecom tariffs are amongst the lowest in the world and in India’s neighbourhood also.”

Recently, tariff rate by India’s leading telecommunication service provider companies like M/s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, M/s Bharti Airtel Ltd and M/s Vodafone Idea Ltd has been increased with effect from July 3, 2024.

The answer of Ministry can be read here:

Criticism by the opposition:

Senior Congress leader and MP Randeep Surjewala was also criticized the government over mobile phone tariff hike by 3 leading firms.

At a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Surjewala said “The Narendra Modi government is fleecing 109 crore cell phone users by sanctioning profiteering by private cell companies”. 

Surjewala alleged that the cell phone market in India had been working as an ‘oligopoly’, with Reliance Jio having almost 48 crore cell phone users, Airtel having 39 crore cell phone users, and Vodafone Idea having about 22.37 crore cell phone users. He further said that “Effective July 3, the three private cell phone companies, i.e. Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, have increased their tariffs by an average of 15 per cent. The three private cell phone companies have a market share of 91.6 per cent, or 109 crore cell phone users out of a total of 119 crore cell phone users as on December 31, 2023.”

At the conference, Surjewala also cited the TRAI report to highlight that a total additional yearly payment from the pockets of the common man and woman of India seeking connectivity after increase in tariffs will be around Rs 34,824 crore per year. This data was for the 109 crore cell phone users of these three private cell phone companies.

Related:

First week of July saw 3 major telecom companies increase tariff by 10-25% across plans, Congress calls it a case of thriving off “crony capitalism” under Modi

PIL challenging compulsory use of smart prepaid electricity meters remains pending in HC as Maha govt temporarily puts off decision to mandate pre-paid meters

Allahabad HC’s recent judgement dubbed “saffron-tinged”, “fuelling fear among Christians,” says United Christian Forum

The post Centre states that Indian telecom tariffs are amongst the lowest in the world appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Union Ministry of Communications notified an amendment to the Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017 which effectively means that an order suspending telecom/internet services cannot be in operation for more than 15 days.

This amendment is an insertion of a sub-rule in rule 2, after sub-rule (2) as:

“(2A) The suspension order issued by the competent authority under sub-rule (1) shall not be in operation for more than fifteen days.”

Rule 2 states that the directions to suspend telecom service can only be issued by an order made by the Secretary of Home Affairs at either the Union or State level; in the alternative it may also be issued by Joint Secretary to Government of India or State Home Secretary.

Internet suspension has been used as a tool to suppress freedom of speech and expression, especially when the masses had risen in a wave of protests all across the country against the discriminatory citizenship law in the form of Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019. However, the first major instance of internet suspension that continues to be in operation quite brazenly is the suspension of internet services in Jammu and Kashmir since August 2019. More than a year has passed and there still remains a certain amount of restriction on the speed of internet in the region, barring only Ganderbal and Udhampur districts. DNA reported that J&K government had extended the ban on 4G internet in the Union Territory up till November 12.

What about J&K?

After reading about the 15-day restriction on order suspending the internet, the first question that does come to mind is: What about Jammu and Kashmir? It is not lost upon anybody that the region has been under internet blockade since August 2019, which was lifted partially by allowing 2G internet in late January. This was done in compliance to a Supreme Court order to that regard.

The 2G services were restored there albeit with some restrictions after a Supreme Court order finding internet shutdown illegal. The court had observed that indefinite suspension is not permissible and restrictions on the internet have to follow the principle of proportionality under Article 19(2), which speaks about reasonable restrictions on fundamental rights.

In the beginning of March, the Jammu and Kashmir administration decided to lift the ban on access to social media sites but on 2G speed internet.

In May, the apex court while hearing a petition asking for restoration of 4G internet in the region, gave its final verdict which effectively did nothing for the region. The court set up a Committee to review the situation and consider the alternatives suggested by the petitioners. After a contempt petition was filed stating that the Committee had not even been set up by the Ministry, finally the Committee submitted a report allowing 4G internet on trial basis in just two districts, on trial basis.

Related:

Srinagar: NIA raids human rights defenders, NGOs, media house in terror funding probe
Stop harassment of Anuradha Bhasin and other independent voices in Kashmir: NWMI
J&K: 4G will be restored on trial basis in two districts for limited period
Kashmiri student urges PM to restore 4G internet

The post Cannot suspend internet for more than 15 days says Centre appeared first on SabrangIndia.