New Delhi: The mobile users would soon be able to receive a hard copy of the bill free of cost, with telecom regulator TRAI today proposing an amendment to Telecommunication Tariff Order for the same.

TRAI today initiated a consultation process for the proposed amendment, under which service providers have to provide a hard copy of the bill free of cost to their post-paid subscribers. Keeping in view the provisions of Indian Telegraph Rules 1951, cellular mobile telecom service and unified access service license agreements, it has emerged that no post-paid subscriber is liable to pay for the bill containing summary details of the payments to be made by the user.

The regulator said it has noted that the service providers in other sectors such as power, gas, water utility services do not charge for providing hard copies of the bill. The hard copy of the bill would always be required, as not every telecom subscriber would have an access to the computer and internet to obtain their bill through e-mail, TRAI said in a statement.

The regulator also said it was impossible to send important information to be sent through an SMS. It has sought stakeholders views on the proposal before January 18, 2008. The bill represents the true extent of service actually provided by the service provider and also the details about the service and conditions which are available to the subscribers, it added.

Source : PTI