BSNL has launched free roaming, starting from today the 15th June 2015, which will allow its mobile customers across the country to receive incoming calls at no cost. "Now BSNL mobile customers will not need to carry multiple SIMs and handsets during roaming. They are free to talk as long as they want without worrying of any charges during incoming calls. In fact, it is like a dream of ‘One Nation, One Number' coming true," BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava said in a statement.

The company clarified that it has not received any communication from the regulator TRAI, regarding the roaming scheme. “We have not received any such communication from TRAI. BSNL has announced this scheme with the consent of the Minister of Communications & IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad, who himself had announced it in a press conference held on June 2. TRAI has no objection to it,” Shrivastava said.

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had announced on 2nd June 2015 that the BSNL will be launching a free roaming scheme from June 15. This is a boon to the BSNL customers who roams frequently. This very step will definitely attract more customers towards BSNL.

This welcome step will definitely stir the hornet’s nest of competition with the private players. The private players will also be forced to follow BSNL’s line on roaming. This competition will be benefited to the customers. Previously, people used to carry different SIM’s for different states to avoid incoming charges while roaming. The roaming charges also prevented the customers to limit the usage of talking time, while they were out their parent circle.

By Premji