Telcos to mutually settle linking issues

NEW DELHI: Following the resolution of the interconnect issue between GSM operators and Reliance Communications (RCOM), all telcos have now signed an agreement to resolve all other pending issues related to linking their networks. The agreement was signed in the presence of telecom regulator TRAI over the weekend.

The agreement envisages that telcos mutually settle all other interconnect requests (outside the recent controversy) by October 15. It also envisages that telcos settle pending payments for existing interconnect agreements within the next seven days. Besides, all operators have also agreed to renew all interconnect agreements that have expired. More importantly, operators have also agreed that in case of similar disputes in their future they will adhere by Trai’s decisions on the issue.

Last week, the interconnection row between RCOM and GSM players was settled in closed door meetings in the presence of TRAI officials . Interconnection is the life line of telcos as without it the subscribers of one operator cannot make or receive calls from customers of another telco.

Traffic from one operator passes on to that of another at specific junctions called Points of Interconnect (PoI). The number of PoIs between operators depends on the volume of traffic flowing between their networks. The larger the number of PoIs, the lesser the congestion in the networks. Call drops, failure to connect on the first attempt and poor voice reception of calls happen when the traffic flowing between the networks of two operators is larger than what the PoIs can handle.

“When we resolved the interconnect row between GSM operators and RCOM, we came to know that there were several other outstanding issues related to interconnection. Several requests for interconnect have been pending for the last 18-24 months. We have got them to sign a comprehensive agreement where all pending requests will be completed before October 15,” a top Trai official told ET.

“As per this agreement, all operators have agreed to cooperate with each other on interconnection under the overall supervision and control of TRAI,” the official added. However, if operators fail to settle pending payments for interconnection within the next one week, or cannot settle issues bilaterally, Trai will step in again. In such a scenario, telcos will have to abide by TRAI’S settlement.

With telcos such as RCOM, the Tatas and others gearing up to offer mobile services on both platforms, TRAI has also a constituted a committee to determine the methodology to calculate the total revenues.

Source : Economics Times