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July 5, 2001
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Money > Business Headlines > Report July 5, 2001 |
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Trai asks BSNL to pass on reduced rates to othersBS Economy Bureau A call between Noida and Dehradun is local if made on a fixed line phone, but if you want to call a cellular number from a land line, you need to pay STD rates. This would change soon, with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India directing BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd) to pass on the benefits of reduced long distance charges for 50 kms-200 kms to private basic and cellular operators. By not extending reduced tariff as reflected in the new pulse rate for a distance slab of 200 kms for the fixed leg of an inter-network call made by the corporation's subscribers to mobile subscribers, "BSNL is denying the advantage of cheaper calling rate to its own subscribers which is anti-consumer," the regulator said in its determination on the dispute relating to payment of termination (access) charges for calls originating in private operators' network and terminating in BSNL network for a carriage distance of less than 200 km. Trai has directed BSNL and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd to ensure implementation of the order by July 20. Earlier this year, BSNL had announced extension of local call facility up to 200 km range, in an effort to enable the customers to make calls upto 200 kms in the same manner as a local call. The regulator also said that after a detailed examination of points made by various contending parties - BSNL, COAI and ABTO (Association of Basic Telecom Operators), it has concluded that its earlier direction and order under the TRAI amendment act does not warrant any alteration. "The authority's decision is based upon its interpretation of the contract executed between the contending parties as embodied in the licensed agreement/inter connect agreement," TRAI said. The determination of the authority implied that access charges should be computed on applicable pulse rate. "BSNL's contention that calculation for inter connection charges (access charges) should be based on standard pulse rate is not valid," TRAI said. The regulator has pointed out that the amount paid by the cellular subscribers for the STD leg of their calls should be the same as STD charges for indentical carriage of a long distance call made by a BSNL subscriber from the point of inter-connection to the same destination. "BSNL should extend the reduced rates to their own subscribers when they make a call to a mobile phone," the regulator said. Such calls have two tariff elements - one for the fixed leg and another for the mobile leg called air time, TRAI said adding the two were independent of each other. It ruled that for the fixed portion, the tariff has to be identical as for the intra-network fixed call for identical carriage. Powered by YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ:
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