TRAI to examine BSNL and Vodafone Idea unlimited data plans

As part of an ongoing investigation into Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel’s unlimited 5G data plans, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is scrutinising the unlimited data plans offered by state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Vodafone Idea (Vi), according to a report. Airtel and Jio are offering Unlimited 5G data as part of their 5G rollout plans for wider technology adoption.

“We are told that both BSNL and Vodafone Idea are also offering unlimited plans and have sought information from the two telcos,” the report quoted a senior TRAI official, adding that it has widened the ambit of its investigation of unlimited 5G data tariff currently offered by top two telecom carriers.

“TRAI is analysing the matter as in what context and price points BSNL and Vodafone Idea are offering these 3G-4G unlimited data plans, and seeing whether they are offering predatory pricing,” the official quoted in the report added.

Unlimited Data Plans
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the state-owned telecommunications company, offers Unlimited Data Benefits with no fair usage policy (FUP) limit, along with Unlimited Voice calls under a popular prepaid plan of Rs 398 and Vodafone Idea (Vi) offers a yearly (365 days) plan at Rs 2,999, offering 850GB data with no limit on daily data usage.

BSNL Rs 398 plan now offers Unlimited Data with speed reduced to 40 kbps after 120GB with 30 days validity along with voice and other benefits. The telco has recently revised the data benefits from Unlimited to 120GB.

According to an earlier report, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is likely to direct Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to stop offering unlimited data in their 5G tariff plans. TRAI has concluded that offering unlimited data as part of any plan is against the fair usage policy principle of tariff regulations, therefore, the two should stop it.

With this move, the Unlimited data plan offerings from BSNL on 3G and Vodafone Idea on 4G are under the scrutiny of TRAI. TelecomTalk