The Hindu Business Line : BSNL objects to TRAI's default traffic system

"This arrangement implies that the choice of the long-distance operator now rests with the access provider, and not with the customer. The equalisation of metered calls is also not guaranteed by simply prescribing a switchover on alternate days."

NEW DELHI, Jan. 27

A DAY after the launch of national long-distance operations by Bharti Telesonic Ltd, the incumbent operator, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), has lodged a protest with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), asking it to defer its implementation.

In a letter to the authority, BSNL noted that the arrangement proposed for the default traffic - i.e., all calls which do not bear the carrier access code (CAC) would be shared alternately between both the NLD operators - was impracticable.

"The arrangement proposed for the default traffic, which incidentally is a deviation from the consistent stand taken by TRAI in the past, is unfortunately impracticable.

It would require a manual or software-controlled changeover on alternate days.

Such an arrangement in the cellular network (where it is understood that the switches are capable of handling CAC) is also considered impracticable.

This arrangement also implies that the choice of the long-distance operator now rests with the access provider, and not with the customer. The equalisation of metered calls is also not guaranteed by simply prescribing a switchover on alternate days," BSNL noted. The letter further added that considering the large number of operators and the volume of traffic involved, ensuring the transparency of such an arrangement was nearly an impossible task. Lastly, this also implied that an operator with a limited investment and only 10 or 12 points of presence (PoP) was handed over 50 per cent of the traffic, it noted.

BSNL observed that the only fair arrangement for subscribers making the choice of NLDO was the introduction of carrier access code (CAC). Two parallel actions were needed in this regard. One related to educating the subscribers about these codes and the other was to take care of technical and billing-related issues associated with the introduction of this facility, it said.

"Any attempt by the subscriber to dial CAC prior to all technical and billing arrangements in place would lead to infractuous and fictional calling which has serious repercussions on the network and may even lead to collapse of the network. It is, therefore, imperative that a reasonable date may be fixed in consultation with all operators for the launch of this facility," it demanded.

The letter to the authority also pointed out that in the case of cellular services and also in the case of basic services, when the traffic was carried by an NLDO which had not tied up carriage and delivery arrangements at the far-end, a very large amount of traffic would simply be lost in the network not having any proper arrangement of termination. This would result in customer dissatisfaction and poor quality of service.

As regards revenue sharing for all such calls, the current arrangement between access providers and the long-distance operator was two-way share between the originator and carrier of such calls. Without the share of the terminating carrier being finalised, such an arrangement would amount to inequitable distribution of revenues, it said.

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