TRAI is reportedly under pressure from DoT for revising the mobile termination charges (MTC). While DoT had referred the matter to the regulator in June 2008, TRAI has not been able to work out the revised charges. TRAI is planning to release a consultation paper on the matter, which will take time as collecting the primary data on interconnect charges is an elaborate and complex exercise. Even if the operators submit the required documents on time, the entire procedure will take time as it requires detailed costing analysis of network elements, appropriation of costs to services, fair return to the network owner, incentives to small and new operators and welfare of consumers.
