The Hindu Business Line : Show-cause notice issued to Tata Tele on `Push-to-Talk' services

THE Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a show-cause notice to Tata Teleservices on its recently launched `Push-to-Talk' services to prove compliance with the licence terms and conditions.

This is the second show-cause notice issued by DoT to Tata Teleservices within a week. DoT had earlier sent a notice to the company on its fixed wireless phone `Walky,' on grounds that the service was being positioned as a mobile phone.

DoT has sought explanation with regard to compliance to the numbering plan and access deficit charges on PTT services. DoT has given three days' time until Friday for the Tatas to explain.

Tata officials declined to comment on the notice.

Tata Teleservices had launched the Push-to-Talk services last month offering customers the facility to make unlimited calls without any long distance or roaming charges within the network on a monthly rental of just Rs 99.

Earlier, the telecom regulator had sent a show-cause notice to the company on `Walky' services. A similar notice was also sent to Reliance Infocomm and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) for misleading advertisements that positioned fixed wireless phones as mobile phone.

The TRAI notice followed a complaint from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) that the companies were avoiding payment of ADC on mobile type services which was being offered under the garb of fixed wireless telephony.

As per the ADC regime, while fixed line operators do not have to pay ADC charges, cellular operators have to pay 30 paise a minute.

BSNL has asked Tata Teleservices and Reliance Infocomm to pay up the charges for the calls being offered to customers as a mobile phone.

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