Supriya Shrinate for NDTV

New Delhi, Jun 2: Maran's last wish as the Telecom Minister will remain just that roaming rates won't become zero and even state owned telecom operators BSNL and MTNL won't play ball.

However, Karunanidhi's trusted lieutenant A Raja has managed to convince the two-telecom operators to slash roaming rates.

So from June 3, which happens to be the DMK leader's birthday, a new tariff plan of Rs 550 will be introduced by both BSNL and MTNL.

That will offer free incoming roaming of 300 minutes, beyond that both incoming and outgoing calls on roaming will be charged at Re 1.

The two telcos expect that roaming traffic that constitutes close to 20 per cent of revenues will rise by close to 20 – 25 per cent.

Though roaming rates have been slashed by both the state owned telcos. It is still not zero, a plan that Dayanidhi Maran had publicly announced after he resigned from the union cabinet. However, ironically the new telecom minister A Raja insists that was never to be.

Telecom operators say that making roaming zero is not financially viable because it involves a transaction between two different service providers.

But Raja's statement many believe, has little to do with the economics of roaming and more with the political war between Maran and DMK.

However, for now private operators will have to gear up to meet the new scheme and subscribers for sure are not complaining.