New Delhi, March 13
As part of its continuing efforts to further normalise relations with Pakistan, the Indian Government today decided to allow roaming facility on mobile phones for Indians travelling to that country.
The government said it was being done on experimental basis for a period of four months and would be reviewed subsequently, based on the feedback given by security agencies.
“We have allowed roaming facility on mobile phones for four months only on experimental basis and will review it on June 15,” Minister of Communications and Information Technology Arun Shourie told
mediapersons here. The roaming facility, however, will not be available to cellular phone subscribers of Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East.
Bharti Group, which provides mobile services under the brand name Airtel, will offer the services with immediate effect, while for state-owned operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the facility would be started within a few days.
An Airtel spokesperson said the facility would be available to pre-paid as well as post-paid customers, as the company had signed an agreement with Mobilink, the only GSM (global system of mobile) cellular service provider in Pakistan.
Chandigarh: According to an Airtel press note here today, the tariff for the facility, which would be available to its subscribers in India for a period of four months, would be Rs 25 per minute for the local calls made to any number in Pakistan, Rs 35 per minute (off-peak time between 9.30 pm and 7 am) for calls to any number back in India. The outgoing SMS charges would be Rs 12 per message sent.
