ARMOUR Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 TRAI may implement usage fee on WhatsApp, Viber and others The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) apparently wants to try wringing money out of messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Skype and WeChat on behalf of itself and mobile service providers who feel that they have the right to be compensated for revenues lost when people use such apps instead of making phone calls and sending SMS messages.Currently, these apps have become very popular amongst mobile users by running on telecom bandwidth without being connected to the telecom industry. They offer free messaging across any telecom network in India, resulting in losses to telcos.Mobile companies, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, want apps providers to pay a connectivity charge.According to telecom industry estimates, telcos currently lose around Rs 5,000 crore annually due to these free apps and the figure is expected to cross Rs 16,400 crore in the next two years, as mobile subscribers using smartphone with internet are growing rapidly.Telecom companies have been having a hard time trying to increase revenues, especially as SMS usage drops and messaging apps become the norm.Sources:Business TodayNDTV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CODYQX4 Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 (edited) . Edited April 28, 2019 by CODYQX4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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