Cell operators may seek action on signal disruption by MTNL, BSNL

Neeraj Jha

Mumbai, Aug 24: THE Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) is considering asking the Telecom Commission (TC), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the Wireless Planning Commission (WPC) to ‘crack the whip’ on Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) for failing to put up suitable filters to their CDMA transmitters that have been severely affecting the cell companies’ networks.

Though COAI said it did not contemplate taking BSNL/MTNL to court, industry sources did not rule out the possibility.

“We plan to meet the officials of Trai, TC, WPC and BSNL next week and appraise them of the development,” COAI sources told The Financial Express.

COAI’s decision comes in the wake of cell companies, including Hutchison Max Telecom Ltd and its Gujarat counterpart Fascel, urging the trade body to take up the issue.

These operators have been affected the most by the testing of CDMA equipment by BSNL and MTNL.

These companies fear that it may lead to a loss of revenue and subscriber base if the problem persists.

“It may eventually affect customer perception and prompt them to switch to a rival,” sources in one of the affected companies said. In Mumbai, it is Orange which has been affected more than BPL Mobile because of its frequency (890 MHz) being closer to MTNL’s (888 MHz.) In Gujarat, Fascel is the affected party.

On July 23, the WPC had asked MTNL and BSNL to install filters by August 23 to reduce signal interference.

The WPC, in the letter, had asked the state-run operators to ‘take appropriate remedial measures by incorporating suitable filters to their CDMA transmitters to avoid harmful interference to the cellular networks’.

When contacted, MTNL chief general manager Ramani Aiyar said work (of installing the filters) was on and will be done. “We will definitely do it. These things take time and cannot be done in 30 days,” he added.

Earlier this month, MTNL officials had told The Financial Express that these filters would be up well within the deadline.