The Cabinet today approved a new telecom policy, NTP 2012, that proposes to abolish roaming charges on mobile phones and allow users to retain the same number across the country. Briefing the media the Telecom Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal that the spectrum allocation will be delinked from licensing.

The Minister said that the new Telecom Policy aims at increasing teledensity in rural areas. The NTP 2012 aims to provide free roaming to telecom users and allow them to retain the mobile number even outside their circles without having to pay any extra charge.
At present, users have to pay extra when they receive or make a call in a circle outside their home network, called roaming charges.Also mobile number portability is not permitted outside
circle.