| According to sources close to the development, the company was in advanced stage of rolling out the service. The move to halve the call tariffs would benefit both tourists and business travellers. |
| Under the company's existing slabs, the lowest rates are Rs 12 and these could go up to Rs 100 a minute for inbound calls made from international destinations. The lowest rates are applicable to the US, while the highest apply to countries in Africa and West Asia. |
| The company is also planning a suite of offerings for outroamers. However, this has not been confirmed. |
| A Reliance Communications spokesperson declined to comment on the company's plans. He added, "The company has integrated telecom infrastructure, that connects more than 40 countries across four continents, and this offers an opportunity to develop new business avenues that the company is continuously evaluating". |
| Meanwhile, Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) has slashed the international inroaming tariff - foreign visitors coming into India - by up to 40 per cent. The present average inroaming charges on BSNL's network is about Rs 49 a minute for outgoing local or STD calls, Rs 99 a minute for an ISD call and Rs 75 a minute for an incoming call. |
| According to an independent study, the number of tourists travelling abroad will double to around 17 million in the next four years. This is due to rising disposable incomes, increasingly affordable holiday options and ramping up of services by the budget carriers. |
| The market size of inbound calls made by visitors from the country (not immigrants) is believed to be around Rs 800 crore annually. The industry's average revenue per user (ARPUs) from Indian outbound travellers is likely to be around $50 a month. |
| By slashing the prices, Reliance Communications expects to garner sufficient market share of homebound calls without any fresh capital infusion and marginal operating expenditure. |
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