Mumbai: In a major development in the telecom sector India’s telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked telecom service provider companies such as Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd and Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel Ltd to give an explanation why they removed their cheapest 1GB entry-level mobile plans as people with low income relied on these for basic internet access Livemint reported citing people in the know. What Did Department Of Telecommunications Say? The Department Of Telecommunications (DoT) also intervened on the issue and asked TRAI to look into the matter submit a report. On August 19 a report by the Mint mentioned that two major telecom players – Jio and Airtel removed their entry-level plan that cost Rs 249. On this plan Jio used to offer 28 days of validity and Airtel’s plan was valid for 24 days. The plan was first removed by the Reliance Industries company and followed by Airtel. What Jio Airtel Say In Their Reply? Jio stated that the recharge plan is available only offline on Jio Stores while airtel stated that internal assessment and usage analysis are the reason for discontinuing the plan. What Is Experts Take On This? Analysts at JM Financial stated that the decision of removing the entry-level plan has been made by the companies to boost average revenue per customer. The changes in the entry-level plans indicate the possibility of another increase in tariffs in the coming weeks. HIGHLIGHTS • Telecom regulator TRAI has asked Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to explain why they removed their cheapest Rs 249 entry-level 1GB mobile plans. • The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) stepped in and directed TRAI to investigate the matter. • Jio said the Rs 249 plan is still available offline at Jio Stores while Airtel cited internal assessment as reasons for its removal. • Experts believe the move aims to increase average revenue per user and may lead to another tariff hike. What Is The Price Of Airtel’s New Entry-Level Tariff Plan? Airtel’s new plan costs Rs 299 and comes with 28 days of validity. The company gives 1 GB of daily data with the plan. Jio on the other hand offers 1.5 GB per day for Rs 299. The validity on the plan is 28 days. The decision has sparked worries regarding the affordability and ongoing internet access for users with low incomes. Are The Plans Still Affordable? Recently Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that common people and farmers in his constituency cannot afford the telecom tariffs due to high prices. India remains one of the countries with the lowest telecom rates. In February Scindia informed the Parliament that mobile phone charges have decreased by 94 percent since 2014. He noted that the price of data was 270 per GB in 2014 which has now reduced to 9.70 per GB.