The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) plans to request Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) not to disconnect links with private operators, over non-payment of carriage charges. It is believed that TRAI may shortly convene a meeting between BSNL and the concerned private operators to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, BSNL has already sent out notices to the concerned private operators threatening to disconnect the links if they do not clear pending dues. If BSNL does disconnect the links, private players? subscribers would be unable to make calls to BSNL?s fixed line telephone users and vice-versa.
However, the concerned private operators have said that they will not pay up. The argument hinges on how TRAI’s Interconnect Usage Charges (Regulation 2009) is interpreted.
According to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), a private operator is expected to pay Re 0.35 per minute to terminate a call on BSNL’s fixed line network. BSNL is required to pay Re 0.20 per minute for a call generating from BSNL’s fixed line network and terminating on the private operators? network.
According to Rajan Mathews, Director-General, COAI, ?Adding to the anomaly, BSNL is now seeking a higher termination charge of Re 0.40- Re 0.85 per minute from the private operators for termination of mobile calls (of private operators only) to their fixed line network (as distance based carriage). This is contrary to TRAI’s regulation and the private operators are not liable to pay this.?
COAI has also asked BSNL to review and withdraw the notices, in the interest of consumers.
