If all goes well, it is a possibility that subscribers will have the freedom to choose their long distance operator, irrespective of who his service provider is.

So, if you are a Vodafone subscriber and BSNL is giving cheap rates for long distance calls, then through calling cards you can use their service.

To make this a possibility, Telecom Regulatory Association of India (TRAI) has sent recommendations on Provision of Calling Cards by National and International Long Distance Operators to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

According to TRAI, the recommendations imply the following benefits to subscribers:

- Consumer will be able to exercise choice of long distance operator for the national and international calls through calling cards.

- Competition would be encouraged and affordable innovative tariff plans will become available.

- Consumer can subscribe to any access provider and still not be dependent on the access provider for long distance calls.

- Through long distance calling cards customers can make long distance calls from telephone of any access provider.

TRAI says that it has come up with the above recommendations after an extensive review of mechanisms of providing choice of long distance carrier to the Indian consumer.

The Indian telecom sector has been growing at a phenomenal rate for the past few years and TRAI, DoT, and related agencies that study, suggest, and execute telecom regulatory reforms are continuously striving to implement measures that will help subscribers receive cost-effective services. This new recommendation is such a measure, which if implemented in the future, will be a boon to the subscribers.