Vodafone Idea Shares Fall After TRAI Suspends Its Premium Plan

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) blocked Bharti Airtel Ltd's Platinum and Vodafone Idea Ltd's RedX premium plans, according to a Mint report citing sources. These plans that offer high-paying subscribers with faster data speeds and priority services were blocked by TRAI for violating norms and possibly impacting the quality of services for those outside the plans, the report said.

Shares of Vodafone Idea fell by as much as 2.56 percent on Monday to an intraday low of Rs 9.50. On the other hand, Bharti Airtel was trading between highs and lows.

Last Monday, Bharti Airtel said that it would provide better 4G speed to platinum mobile customers, who pay Rs 499 and above per month for post-paid connection, on its 4G network. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea, with its postpaid plan REDX, has promised up to 50 percent faster data speeds, besides other benefits and privileges.

"It (the plans) is in violation of quality of service norms. It shortchanges the existing customers and it is also not clear what the new customers are being offered as the parameters are not quantifiable," a TRAI official told Mint.

The Mint report also quotes a senior telecom analyst who feels that the two offers do not violate any rules relating to net neutrality as one can always offer "better services for expensive subscriptions."