The telecom department has not yet approached the regulator for its views on floor price for tariffs, Trai Chairman RS Sharma said on Friday.
“We have not received anything,” Sharma said when asked if the Department of Telecom (DoT) has approached Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) for its opinion on floor price or minimum tariff fixation for mobile services.
The government has constituted a committee of secretaries to explore a financial bailout package for the telecom sector. Last month, when the high-level panel was set up, an official source had said that sector regulator Trai is expected to examine prescribing minimum charge for voice and data services, which will ensure long-term viability and robust financial health of the sector.
In fact, this is not the first time that floor price is being talked about in telecom industry circles. Way back in 2017, certain operators had initially suggested fixation of minimum floor price for voice and data services, but Trai had subsequently ruled out imposition.