TRAI to discuss revenue sharing issues for calling card services

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper on ‘Revenue Sharing Arrangements for Calling Card Services'. The objective of this paper is to discuss the various issues related to revenue sharing arrangements for Intelligent Network Based Calling Card Services.

This consultation paper provides the relevant background information and discusses the need and methodology to determine the charges to be paid by the National Long Distance Operator (NLDO)/ International Long Distance Operator (ILDO) to the Access Providers for Calling Card Services.

In the currently prevailing regime, a customer does not have the option to choose its long distance carrier. The customer depends on its Access Provider for NLD/ILD calls. And, it is the Access Provider which chooses the NLDO/ILDO to whom the call is handed over for further carriage based on mutual commercial agreements between them.

Though customer can choose its access provider but choice of NLDO/ILDO is not available to it. Calling cards will provide a real choice to the consumer for picking an NLDO/ILDO which offers the most competitive tariff for NLD/ILD calls viz. irrespective of the customer's access provider.

Written comments on the issues raised in the consultation paper are invited from the stakeholders by November 28, 2013 and counter-comments by December 6, 2013.