Telecom operators, TRAI at loggerheads

NEW DELHI: The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and the Telecom Regulator are at loggerheads after the latter's directive to mobile operators to stop charging differential tariffs for calls made by their subscribers to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) users.

COAI has filed an appeal with the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) challenging Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) order asking operators in four states (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh) not to charge differential tariffs for calls terminating at the BSNL network and other service providers' networks.

The operators said that in absence of direct connectivity, a call between the two service areas terminating at the BSNL or MTNL networks involves a significant element of carriage charges, which is not the case in the case of calls between private cellular operators.

COAI stated that in view of the significantly different cost structure, a call made from the network of a private operator to the BSNL network could not be equated with a call made to a private operator's network.

The TRAI had stated that the calls between Mumbai Metro and Maharashtra Telecom Circle, Chennai Metro and Tamil Nadu Telecom Circle, Kolkata Metro and West Bengal Telecom Circle, and UP (East) and UP (West) Telecom Circle Service Areas, were to be treated as intra-service area calls for the purpose of call routing and levy of ADC and operators must conform to the norms.

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