Trai Seeks Inter-circle Mobile Connectivity

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/751869.cms

KALYAN PARBAT

KOLKATA: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is about to make a strong pitch to DoT for direct inter-circle handover of cell-to-cell STD calls.

DoT approval will allow mobile operators to skirt NLD networks like BSNL while routing STD traffic across their adjacent circles.

Inter-circle connectivity will enable cellular operators to hand over mobile STD traffic across adjacent circles, bypassing the incumbent’s NLD networks.

For instance, Hutch will be able to directly route its mobile STD traffic originating in Delhi and terminate either in the adjacent UP-West or UP-East circles, where Hutchison also holds mobile licences. In the absence of an NLD licence now, Hutch relies on NLDOs like BSNL, Bharti or VSNL to carry inter-circle STD calls.

“If Trai is able to design a single licence for the gamut of telecom services, inter-circle connectivity between mobile players will be an automatic fallout, since a separate NLD licence will become irrelevant. The idea is to ring in the second phase of unified telecom licensing that does not impede the march of technology. But DoT has to take a final decision,” Trai chairman, Pradip Baijal, said. He was speaking to ET on the sidelines of a telecom meet on Wednesday.

Trai’s proposal will form part of its draft recommendations to DoT on full unification of telecom service licences. The draft recommendations, which will advocate telecom licence for fixed-line, mobile, NLD/ILD, ISP and broadband services among others, will be unveiled in late July.

Present DoT regulations bar inter-circle mobile connectivity. But since technology allows this, and such a move will benefit customers by way of steep cuts in cell-to-cell STD tariffs, Trai is open to direct inter-circle call handover among mobile players, bypassing NLDOs. However, Trai will have to take a call on the revenue impact on NLDOs.

Nevertheless, Mr Baijal ruled out the likelihood of government refunding the unused portion of licence fees/bank guarantees of existing NLDOs, in the event NLD licences became redundant in a regime of a single licence for all telecom services.

“The whole issue of refunding NLD licence fees/bank guarantees is a very messy option. Trai is not considering such an option,” he said.