Orders from the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) notwithstanding, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has disconnected links with private mobile operators in Maharashtra.
TDSAT had ruled that operators were to continue to pay intra-circle carriage charges at the rate they had been paying from July, 2010 onwards. The tribunal further stated that pursuant to compliance of this direction, the disconnections by BSNL should be restored.
A statement issued by the Cellular operators Association of India (COAI) on this issue said, ?BSNL has defied the ruling of the appellate tribunal and disconnected the points of interconnection (PoI) of private operators in the Maharashtra & Goa circle on October 14, 2011, claiming non-payment of intra-circle carriage charges.?
Prior to this, COAI, on behalf of the private operators, has been urging BSNL to restore connectivity at all PoI. However, BSNL felt that TDSAT?s ruling was only applicable to Tata Teleservices Limited and Reliance Communications, the two appellant before the tribunal.
COAI has clarified that the order was applicable to all private operators.
?Despite having faced public outrage in several areas recently on having disconnected emergency services and causing harassment to the users and having to restore them thereafter; it is disappointing to see BSNL resorting to the same coercive ways again showing complete disregard for both the customers and the TDSAT,? COAI added.
