The Hindu Business Line : Hutch, Airtel face penalty

New Delhi April 5 The Department of Telecom is all set to impose a penalty on Hutchison Essar for violating the national numbering plan by offering `Talk On' services.

Bharti Airtel is also under the scanner for its 2-in-1 plan that allowed subscribers to take the benefit of both the pre-paid card and post paid billing system.

Both the services required subscribers to dial # (hash) for the service, which was against the numbering plan at the time the service was launched.

Dialling # (hash) distorts the monitoring process carried out by the Government as such numbers are difficult to be recorded. Earlier, DoT had sent a note to the companies to clarify the violation of the numbering plan.

As per the licence norms, the two companies could be facing a penalty of Rs 50 crore each.

The Telecom Commission is discussing the issue before a final decision is taken. DoT is also probing Hutch's push-to-talk service, which allowed subscribers to make long distance calls at local call tariffs.

A senior DoT official said that despite asking Airtel and Hutch to stop its services, the companies had not adhered to the direction issued in November 2005.

Company sources, however, said that the services had been pulled out though it was delayed since the subscribers had to be relocated to another tariff plan.

DoT sources said that while the use of strings like #, $ and * has been allowed in 2006, the services were offered by the companies at a time when it was not permitted.

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