Front Page   

Truce ends telecom war, for now

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI JAN. 20. The conflict among phone companies offering different types of services was put on the backburner following the intervention of the Information Technology and Communications Minister, Pramod Mahajan. Though the dispute has the potential to flare up at a later date, subscribers can heave a sigh of relief and cellphone users can even hope for some concessions in the foreseeable future.

The Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) fully restored its connections with the cellular companies while these companies promised to stop blocking calls from limited mobility companies with immediate effect. The cellphone companies would shortly announce cheaper tariffs to their consumers upon finalisation of the interconnect terms.

While the cellphone companies have all along admitted to wilfully blocking calls from limited mobility companies, Mr. Mahajan today revealed that he was aware of the MTNL's action of disconnecting with cellular networks in Delhi for the past three days. But he denied authorising the MTNL to indulge in a bit of "tit for tat''. There was no harm if phone users were subjected to some inconvenience while the MTNL demonstrated its network power to cellular phone companies.

The Minister said he would request TRAI to come up with regulations for a "just and fair" interconnect regime. In return, the cellphone companies assured him that they would allow the termination of the calls of the basic operators including WiLL mobile. Earlier in the day, Mr. Mahajan asked all parties to observe the basic ground rules while operating in a multi-operator environment. There will be "air pockets" in a situation where several companies with different products jostle for customers but he advised them to "respect our system".

Meanwhile, the cellular industry made it clear that the lull was conditional. "This (interconnecting with limited mobility networks) was on the assurance and understanding that the pending interconnection terms, when finalised and accepted, would be the basis for charging of all calls from limited mobility operators from today.''

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Envoy's car blocked again
• India lodges protest
• Truce ends telecom war, for now
• Quit jobs, militants tell Muslim policewomen
• A-G clears disinvestment of oil PSUs
• Quit notice to U.S. missionary
• 'Dawood aide' killed
• Akash again test-fired
• Train derails
• Ketan Parekh remanded
• Rein in Pak., says Vajpayee

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu