The Hindu Business Line : TRAI postpones Interconnection User Charge regime by a month

THE Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has once again deferred the introduction of the revised Interconnection Usage Charge (IUC) regime by a month, to February 1, 2004. This follows the directive of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to all CDMA mobile operators to convert their existing numbering scheme from eight digits to ten digits on par with the GSM cellular numbers.

The DOT has provided the CDMA operators for 30 days from 1st January, 2004 for implementation. Based on the decision of DOT, a period of one month will be allowed to the operators to implement the scheme and the new Numbering arrangements should be functional latest by 1st February 2004.

According to an official statement, the Authority has decided that the IUC charges for both CDMA and GSM full mobility services shall be the same as specified for cellular mobile services in the IUC Regulation. Implementation of such an IUC regime requires clear distinction between full mobility and limited mobility. The decision on Numbering has to be implemented to achieve this objective.

"Taking note of the fact that the new IUC regime was to be implemented from 1st January, 2004 and date of implementation for the Numbering in case of the Fully Mobile Services has been fixed as 1st February 2004, the Authority has taken a decision that the new IUC Regime also should be implemented from 1st February, 2004. Accordingly, the Authority has also decided that identical IUC charges shall apply for both CDMA and GSM full mobility services, irrespective of Point of Interconnection, from the date of implementation of the new IUC regime, because the change-over of the level of interconnection may take a longer time than implementation of the number changes," the statement notes.

In so far as implementation of change of the Point of Interconnection for full mobility under Unified Access Licence, more work and time is needed, and this change should be progressively completed by March 31, 2004. BSNL is being directed to provide all Interconnection facilities as may be required for the implementation of changes of the POIs.

Other Numbering and Interconnection related issues like same level of Numbering for Full Mobile and Limited Mobile subscribers, implementation of limited mobility through Home Zone tariff concept, Interconnect Gateway Exchange etc. will be addressed as part of the Authority's consultation paper on Unified Licence for all telecom services.