The Hindu Business Line : `Walky' services — BSNL asks circle heads to recover ADC dues from Tata Teleservices

BHARAT Sanchar Nigam Ltd has directed its circle heads to immediately recover all dues from Tata Teleservices for offering `Walky' services, allegedly, without paying the access deficit charge (ADC) from November 2004 onwards.

BSNL has also asked the circle heads to take appropriate action as per the interconnect agreement if the company failed to pay up. If BSNL disconnects, Tata Teleservices' 3 million fixed wireless subscribers would not be able to make or receive calls to and from any of BSNL's 50 million subscribers.

The move comes after the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal quashed the objections raised by Tata Teleservices to paying ADC on `Walky' services. The company had contended that the services was part of its Internet Service Providers' licence and therefore it was not required to pay any charges.

The tribunal ruled that BSNL was right in demanding the charges because `Walky' was a mobile service and therefore categorised as WLL limited mobile service. According to industry estimates, the net outgo for Tata Teleservices could be between Rs 300 crore and Rs 400 crore.

BSNL had first raised the issue in January after which the Tatas filed a petition with the tribunal. The Cellular Operator's Association of India joined cause with BSNL on grounds that `Walky' was disturbing the level field. Recently the Department of Telecom had issued a directive asking all CDMA-based operators to stop offering fixed wireless terminals under the fixed telephone licence. The difference had arisen because the existing ADC regime does not envisage a levy on fixed telephone licence holders while cellular operators have to pay a charge.

BSNL has directed the circle heads to take up the case with Tata Teleservices locally and any delay in issuing the bills to the company should be brought to the notice of the state-owned company's headquarters in Delhi.

When contacted, Tata executives said that the company will have to study the bills raised by BSNL before moving forward.

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