NEW DELHI, Dec 16: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Tuesday notified reduced `provisional' Internet tariffs which will be effective from January 1, 1998. Tariff will now be based on three time slabs - 100 hours for Rs 3,000, 250 hours for Rs 6,500 and 500 hours for Rs 10,000, for dial up internet services.

Incremental subscription in steps of 20 hours each will also be available at Rs 30 per hour, a Trai release said here today.

These tariffs will replace the existing internet access cost of Rs. 15,000 for a single time slab of 500 hours.

``The reduction in tariff is provisional, pending conclusion of the overall tariff rebalancing exercise which is currently underway,'' the regulatory authority said.

In the `overall public interest', the Trai adopted a fast-track approach for the provisional notification of tariffs, which was also requested by the Telecom Commission.

The authority said inputs of the various service providers, internet consumers, and various related associations were taken into account while determining the tariffs.

The final internet tariffs will be notified by the middle of next year when the country's overall telecom tariff structure is expected to be comprehensively `rebalanced' by the Trai.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.