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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will ask Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) not to snap the links with private mobile operators over payment of carriage charges. A top TRAI official said that it may convene a meeting between the feuding parties this week to resolve the issue.
“We have told BSNL not to precipitate the situation by disconnecting links with private players as that is not in the interest of consumers. Since the issue is already under the scrutiny of the TRAI and the court, BSNL should wait for the process to get over,” a TRAI official said.
BSNL has already sent out notices to private mobile operators threatening to disconnect the links if they do not clear the dues. If BSNL carries out its threat, then subscribers of private players will not be able to make calls to the PSU's fixed line telephone users and vice-versa.
Private operators, however, are in a defiant mood and have refused to pay up the dues. The difference between the two sides is on the interpretation of the TRAI's Interconnect Usage Charges (Regulation 2009).
According to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the industry body representing the interest of GSM operators, a private operator is expected to pay 35 paise per minute to terminate a call in the BSNL's fixed line network.
On the other hand, BSNL is required to pay only 20 paise per minute for a call generating from BSNL's fixed line network and terminating the network of the private mobile operators.
“Adding to the anomaly, BSNL is now seeking a higher termination charge of 40-85 paise per minute from the private mobile operators for termination of mobile calls (of private operators only) to their fixed line network (as distance based carriage). This is contrary to TRAI's regulation. Private operators are not liable to pay this,” said Mr Rajan Mathews, Director-General, COAI.
The projected outstanding demands by BSNL are not in accordance with TRAI regulations and “we believe there are no outstanding dues to BSNL in this regard”. COAI has asked BSNL to review and withdraw the notices in the interest of consumers.
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