Trai to stay off BSNL inter-circle routing issue

Our eFE Bureau

New Delhi, Sept 17: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is declining to be drawn into the controversial issue of the change in routing plans of inter-circle calls between mobile and basic networks sought to be implemented by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) in Maharashtra.

The proposed BSNL move would triple the call charges for both basic and mobile subscribers in Mumbai making calls to mobile users in Maharashtra and vice versa.

Earlier on August 25, BPL Mobile Communications, the cellular operator in Maharashtra and Mumbai had approached the Trai against the new call routing and inter-connect terms proposed to be implemented from September 15, by the BSNL.

However, in a carefully worded communication sent to the BSNL on September 14, the Trai has said that “the basis of all interconnection agreements has to be mutual agreement between the parties concerned...Trai would prefer and suggest that a resolution be sought by the parties concerned by mutual negotiation without any of them acting on unilateral manner.”

It, however, added that if such a mutual resolution was not possible, “the Trai shall intervene to find a reasonable solution of all outstanding issues of interconnection between the two networks, including in Maharshtra circle.” Basic operators, who interpret this move by Trai, as giving an effective stay in the matter, are protesting on the grounds that “giving a stay only in the case of Maharashtra is biased, since the routing plans have been changed by BSNL in the other 20 circles also.”

At the core of the issue is BSNL’s proposal to designate Nagpur, instead of Pune, as the level-1 Trunk Automatic Exchange (TAX).
This would result in mobile subscribers in Mumbai making calls to cellular and basic subscribers in adjoining cities, like Pune, and vice versa, paying Rs 18 per minute as inter-connection charges to BSNL, instead of the Rs 6 being paid right now, over and above the airtime charges.

It may be noted that earlier in the year, the cellular operators had approached the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against the Trai determination that all inter-circle calls must be handed over at TAX-I or TAX-II, instead of any local TAX, since this would have made long distance calls made from mobile phones more expensive.

They however, later withdrew the case, as the stay given by TDSAT on augmentation of the existing points of interconnection only added to their woes.