The Hindu Business Line : Tata Teleservices appeals to tribunal on `Walky' ads

TATA Teleservices on Tuesday filed an appeal with the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against the order by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to withdraw advertisements that promoted its fixed wireless services as a mobile service. The telecom regulator had asked Tata Teleservices to comply with its order by Thursday.

TRAI had asked both Tata Teleservices and Reliance Infocomm to withdraw advertisements that promote fixed wireless services as mobile phones.

While Tata Teleservices was projecting its fixed wireless services called `Walky' as a mobile phone with landline tariffs, Reliance was advertising it as `Unlimited Cordless.' TDSAT will take up the case on Thursday.

Reliance Infocomm, however, said that it would comply with the TRAI order.

The TRAI move came after the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and private cellular operators complained to the regulator that the two companies were providing mobile services under the garb of fixed line telephony to avail themselves of the benefits of the access deficit charge (ADC) regime.

Fixed line operators are not only exempt from paying ADC, but also receive charges for outgoing calls.

Recognising the complaint, TRAI had said: "Referring to fixed wireless phone service as `Walky' and `Unlimited Cordless' conveys the impression to potential customers that the facility provided is similar to mobile service when actually fixed wireless services are offered.

The Interconnect Usage Charges and Access Deficit Charge regime provide a different treatment for calls from mobile and fixed services, including wireless fixed."

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