Trai plans website for cellphone users

INDRANIL CHAKRABORTY

KOLKATA, JANUARY 7: Are you a first time mobile user looking for a best tariff scheme or want to shift from an existing package to an optimal one? Don’t know from where to start and how to find the hidden cost? Feeling frustrated! Not any more. The Indian telecom regulator, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will guide you to unearth the mysteries of tariff plans to suite your needs.

Trai has decided to set up a website for the mobile consumers in collaboration with various consumer groups working in the telecom segment.

According to a senior Trai official who is closely involved with the plan, the website will have various tariff packages provided by all the cellular operators in the country and, through a statistical software, will suggest the best package suitable for a consumer given the income and budget constraint.

“We will involve various consumer groups who will help us in setting up the website. The consumer groups will give us inputs on the kind of problems face by a consumer while choosing a tariff plan,” said the official.

Trai has started talking to a donor agency who will provide necessary funds for the execution of the whole project.

In countries like Denmark, the regulator has taken a proactive role to guide the customers in choosing the best mobile tariff plan. TRAI wants to follow the example, and give customers a relief from getting confused.

“The idea is to demystify the packages and help the consumers to choose the best solution. Our experience suggests that the consumers sometimes don’t feel comfortable while dealing with large number of tariff plans offered by each of the operators. We want to make things easy for the consumers,” said the official.