14 DAY TRIAL // The competition in the mobile field in India is extremely fierce, so carriers often find themselves appealing to all sort of shady tactics to boost their profits.
For example, some mobile operators might make it unnecessarily hard for users to opt out of data plans or fail to alert subscribers when they approach or exceed their download allowance.
But such scenarios are going to be history soon, as India has decided to force carriers to notify their users via text when they download ten megabytes of data. What’s more, service providers will be required to switch off mobile data access as soon as they receive a certain text message.
For those users under a capped download plan, the new regulations listed in a PDF require the carrier to send out a TXT or Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) message when subscribers reach 50%, 90% and 100% of their download allowance (as reported by The Register).
Not everyone in India can afford lots of data
Service providers are being instructed that under no circumstances should they activate or deactivate the data service on the Cellular Mobile Telephone connection of a consumer without them actually saying they are on board with the decision. Texting 1925 will inform the carrier of said decision.
Back in June, Indian telecom operators announced they were increasing data rates in order to shore up revenue and margins in the face of higher finance costs due to spectrum-related payouts.
Analysts recognize that data brings in higher revenue and margins and flows directly to profits, so it’s highly beneficial to mobile operators and their purposes. Still, not everyone in India can afford a lot of data, especially since the country is an emerging market with a struggling economy.
India’s mobile market might be extremely competitive, but it focuses on mid-range to lower-end models, and it is offering services to basic users not advanced ones.