The Hindu : Cell operators pulled up for auto roaming facility

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2003

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Cell operators pulled up for auto roaming facility

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 15. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has pulled up companies offering roaming to pre-paid cellular subscribers without their consent. Asking them not to provide this service to customers without their consent, the TRAI has advised all cellular companies to discontinue immediately charging for the auto roaming facility without the subscriber's consent and provide it to only those who opt for this facility while roaming.

The TRAI noted that activation of auto roaming might create a situation where even those subscribers who do not want to avail themselves of the service will end up paying the activation fee for roaming. Thus, whenever a customer leaves the home network service area, s/he has no option except to pay roaming charges. "TRAI is of the view that as this supplementary service has a financial implication for customers, the consent of the subscribers should be essential,'' said a TRAI directive asking companies to ensure compliance within five days.

This is the second intervention by TRAI in a fortnight on behalf of cellular customers. It had earlier asked cellular companies to provide voice mail service only after receiving a confirmatory message from subscribers.

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