VSNL wants Trai to scrap access deficit charge

International long distance carrier Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited on Friday urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to scrap the access deficit charge as it was leading to smuggling of international calls.

Speaking at the 'Telecom East' summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (eastern region) in Kolkata, VSNL managing director L S K Gupta said that nearly 30 per cent of the incoming international long distance calls were being terminated at places where terminator charges were not paid.

Demanding that ADC should be scrapped, Gupta suggested the fixed line operators could be suitably compensated either from the universal service obligation fund or from any other source.

Gupta said Pakistan had successfully tackled the problem by sentencing the offenders for seven years. However, he said that this was not possible in India, adding that scrapping of ADC was the only way out.