Trai wants to allow internet packs with year long validity

Trai has released a draft of tweaks in consumer protection regulations, that is aimed to introduce the internet to a a wider audience. One of the reasons of the prohibitive cost of entry for new internet users, is that the low usage requirements means that most of their data allowance goes unused. Currently, telecom service providers are allowed to provide data only packs with a validity of 90 days. If a customer does not use the amount of data allocated in the plan within those 90 or fewer days, then the validity of the plan lapses, and the data or the amount paid for it are not carried over. Trai wants to solve the problems of low literacy, lower digital literacy, lack of adequate internet coverage, and non affordability of data among marginal customers. Most of the new customers using internet packs on pre-paid plans on any service provider network, are first time consumers or consumers who have migrated from the network of other service providers. This means that there is a lot of churn when it comes to the usage base of pre-paid internet from any particular service provider, and that people do not continue using the internet after trying it out. Trai has been mulling over a free data framework that does not violate its own net neutrality regulations, as a measure to introduce more people to the internet. This is another measure aimed to increase the adoption of internet in India. Under the new guidelines, pre-paid data packs offered by service providers will be valid for 365 days instead of 90. Trai wants to amend the consumer protection regulations laid down in 2012. Trai is seeking feedback and comments from stakeholders, including telecom service providers, associations of telecom service providers and consumers.