No hike in call rates for villages under OneIndia

The government today indicated that local call rates in rural areas would not be increased even after the introduction of the proposed OneIndia call rate. It said this was to protect the interests of rural telephone users.

"While the government was working towards the OneIndia call rate, the proposed measure is still at an initial stage. The government will protect the interests of rural telephone subscribers," Shakeel Ahmad, minister of state for information technology and telecom told Lok Sabha in a written reply. He also said no time-frame had been fixed for the introduction of uniform call rates.

At present, rural areas are covered under subsidised rates. The monthly rental varies from Rs 50 to Rs 210, depending upon the exchange capacity, while the average cost-based rental is Rs 361.

Unit call charges for metered call unit between 76-300 was 80 paise, and 75 calls were free of charges, he added.

Ahmad also said Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) had no proposal to introduce cheaper landline calls or mobile roaming charges. The said charges were already low in these companies, he said.

BSNL has set a target of releasing 65 lakh cellular connections in the current fiscal. On June 30, around 13,86,076 applicants are in the waiting list, seeking a BSNL cellular connection.

The government is proposing a new telecom policy, which is intended to be a comprehensive one, covering various aspects including access, spectrum allocation, technology, manufacturing, R&D, deregulation, simplification and value-added services. Comments have been invited on all the above from different stakeholders.