TRAI releases draft direction on broadband services

New Delhi: The Indian telecom watchdog on Wednesday released draft directions on delivering broadband services in a transparent manner.

In the draft directions, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked all telecom service providers rendering fixed broadband services to state on their website and also in all advertisements published through any media, the data usage limit with specified speed.

It also asked them to provide the speed of broadband connection up to a specified data usage limit and the speed of broadband connection beyond the data usage limit.

For mobile broadband, the telecom regulator said the data usage limit with specified technology (3G or 4G) for providing services has to be specified.

The TRAI also said the service providers need to mention the technology (3G or 4G) offered for providing broadband services up to a specified data usage limit and the technology (2G, 3G or 4G) offered for providing broadband services beyond the data usage limit.

The regulator also asked the service providers to ensure that download speed of broadband service provided to the fixed broadband subscriber is not reduced below 512 kbps in any broadband tariff plan.

It also asked the service provider to alert subscriber when his data usage reaches 80 percent of the data usage limit under his plan and ensure that such alert is provided to the fixed broadband subscriber at each login after data usage crosses the said limit of 80 percent.

"Send alert to the subscriber either through SMS or Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) on his mobile number, registered with the service provider or to his registered email address, each time when the data usage by the subscriber reaches 80 percent and hundred percent of the data usage limit under his plan - and furnish compliance report by the (date)," the draft direction said.

The TRAI has sought comments from the stakeholders in this matter.