TelecomLive April-2020

Covid-2019 Telecom LIVE April 2020 30 www.telecomlive.com For example, Jio has provided free incoming calls to all its sub- scribers for six months, and has also allowed 100 minutes of voice outgoing call and 100 SMS till April 17, 2020 to JioPhone cus- tomers (using feature phone). On the other hand, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have also given Rs 10 credit to all their featurephone customers, till April 17, 2020. Featurephones are generally believed to be used by those who cannot afford to purchase smartphones. Thus, operators have offered extended validity for continuation of services and talk-time benefits to ensure that essential calls can be made by those who genuinely need help to stay connected. The expectation of extending benefits to all prepaid users, even those who have the means to recharge, is not appropriate, it said. “It is respectfully submitted that this is individual operator's decision depending on its assess- ment,” COAI said. COAI said its members opera- tors are of the view that there are adequate recharge options avail- able and avenues have been increased in past few days for subscribers to do recharges from homes. Providing benefits indis- criminately, would also dissuade other customers - those dutifully using various digital and non- digital means - from recharging, COAI said. “...we cannot believe it is the intention of Trai that such benefits should be indiscriminately pro- vided to even those privileged ones who are well able to afford such services and need no incen- tives or provisions to avail of con- tinued mobile services,” COAI said. COAI pegged the value of bene- fits announced by telcos for low- income users, to be over Rs 600 crore, even on conservative basis. “Despite the fact that the sector is going through a very challeng- ing phase, the telecom service providers are ensuring that the nation remains connected and functions while we continue our fight against the novel COVID-19 outbreak,” it added. “We are therefore taken aback to see the letter issued by the authority to our members,” it said. The industry has urged Trai to keep in mind “dire financial situa- tion” of operators and added that elecom industry has T rejected Trai's call to provide talk-time credit and extended validity to all prepaid mobile phone users, saying telcos had offered benefits worth over Rs 600 crore to low- income subscribers to stay con- nected during the lockdown, and extending it to all pre-paid cus- tomers was unjustified. The response from Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) comes just days after Trai pulled up telcos on selective approach in extending validity and giving talktime credit. Trai had insisted that uninterrupted services need to be ensured for all prepaid subscribers amid the ongoing lockdown. Putting up a strong defense, the industry has said that adequate measures have already been taken to ensure that those who genu- inely require support due to unavailability of options to recharge are provided help to tide over the situation. This was done by the industry despite the current financial stress. COAI said that in case Trai and the government still feel the need for extension of benefits to all prepaid feature phone subscrib- ers, this should be provided in the form of a subsidy to the telecom sector. “This could be adequately com- pensated from the USO Fund where more than Rs 51,500 crore is being lying unutilised as on March 31, 2020,” COAI said in a letter to Trai, on April 9. COAI said despite the financial stress being faced by the sector, requisite measures have been taken by telecom operators to support low-income users who are at the bottom of the pyramid and are not in a position to recharge their prepaid services. Covid-2019 r Telcos reject Trai's request for free TopUp to all r Mobile traffic surge 50 pc at homes, but DoT ignores telcos demand for spectrum even on temporary basis