The Hindu Business Line : `Clarify policy on intra-circle STD calls'

New Delhi March 8 In a move that would cheer private telecom operators, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has told the Department of Telecom that it would be forced to issue an order against State owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd for blocking calls from private telecom operators within a Circle if the Government did not clarify the policy on intra circle STD calls.

In a strongly worded letter, TRAI has told the DoT to take a position on the year-long dispute between BSNL and private telecom operators. "It is once again requested that the matter is addressed and TRAI is apprised about the final DoT position at the earliest so that service providers are given suitable response to their representations. The Authority may be left with no option but to issue suitable instructions to BSNL directing it to comply with the licence agreement of NLD in letter and spirit," said the TRAI letter to DoT sent on February 28, 2007.

Private operators had approached the TRAI when BSNL started to block calls carried by private long distance operators within a circle. Private operators had also shot off a complaint to the DoT saying that BSNL was not taking calls made to its subscribers if the calls were being transmitted through the network of a private operator.

NLD operator Bharti pointed out that while DoT has allowed national long distance (NLD) operators to carry calls within a circle, BSNL was insisting that its approval was required. "We would like to draw your attention to the amendment to the NLD licence agreement where DoT had allowed operators to terminate intra circle traffic with the consent of the originating operator only. Despite the amended definition on the scope of NLD services, BSNL is not permitting the private NLDOs to terminate intra circle traffic on its point of interconnection," said a Bharti letter to DoT.

Due to the stand off between BSNL and private telcos, consumers were facing problems as a number of calls made by private operator's subscribers to BSNL users within the same circle were being blocked simply because the call was being carried on a private NLD network. BSNL, on the other hand, said that it was not blocking any calls. It also said that the issues involved revenue implications for the PSU to which DoT could not turn a blind eye.

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