NEW DELHI: The telecom regulator has reiterated its suggestion to offer 100 MB data to users in rural and remote areas for free, but modified its stance to focus on connectivity and local language content, instead of affordability given prices of mobile Internet have slumped since the entry of Reliance Jio Infocomm.In its response to the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) queries, the regulator stayed with its recommendations that the Universal Services Obligation Fund be used for footing the bill for providing government-incentivised free data schemes to rural subscribers.The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Trai ) also repeated a plan to introduce an aggregator model for offering telco-agnostic schemes in a non-discriminatory manner as it will not circumvent rules that bar discriminatory pricing of data services.“The authority had based its recommendations on the data prices existing in September 2016. However, the authority takes cognisance of the fact that after entry of a new player with focus on data services, the competition in the data market segment has become more intense and consequently, there has been a steep decline in data prices during the last one year,” Trai said in its response that was made public on Wednesday.Jio marked its commercial launch in September 2016, with free voice and data services, triggering a price war as incumbents slashed rates to retain users. While Jio has started charging for data — albeit at very cheap rates — voice services remain free for life. “To this extent, the concern with regard to availability of affordable data services has been mitigated.Under the circumstances, the authority tends to agree with views of DoT that a larger focus is required on connectivity, content in local language and digital literacy. The resources could therefore be effectively utilised to address the said issues,” Trai added. The views came after DoT redflagged the recommendations issued in December 2016 on several grounds, and asked the regulator in September to revise those.DoT said implementing Trai’s recommendations would not be feasible through the Universal Services Obligation Fund, as it was already stretched with local connectivity schemes including Bharat Net, amounting to Rs 53,717 crore. “If implemented, it may weaken the focus on telecom infrastructure projects, which are key priority for DoT,” it had said.The regulator backed its recommendation to use the fund — derived from a 5% levy on adjusted gross revenue of all carriers — for financing the plan, as its aim for connecting uncovered rural and remote areas of the country coincided with the regulator’s suggestions on free data.The telecom department had also questioned the logic of restricting free data for smartphone users — as it may create disparity between those who have smartphones and those who don’t — and the sanctity of the aggregator model with regards to Internet access in a nondiscriminatory manner.Trai backed its suggestion of adopting an aggregator model on the grounds that it ensured that telcos would get services agnostically, while ruling out non-discriminatory behaviour for or against a telco by an aggregator. The model also ensured transparency as the aggregator has to declare the cost of providing free data to consumers.The regulator said any scheme provided by the aggregator must not involve any arrangement among it, the carrier or the content provider.