Date:29/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/29/stories/2005112903650900.htm

Back Maharashtra seeks proper interconnection for telecom operators

Thomas K. Thomas

New Delhi , Nov. 28

THE Maharashtra Government has sought the intervention of the Department of Telecom in getting proper interconnection for telecom operators in the State.

The Government has said that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd was not giving adequate points of interconnection to operators in the State because of which the quality of service was hampered.

Though private operators have been demanding adequate points of interconnection for some time now, this is the first time that a State Government has raised the issue on behalf of the operators and the consumers.

In a letter written by Mr R.R. Patil, Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra, he said the telephone operators in Maharashtra were facing problems due to non-supply of points of interconnection by BSNL that is necessary for the quality of service prescribed by DoT.

"You are kindly requested to look into the matter personally and see that enough points of interconnection are allotted to the State of Maharashtra. This will help improve the quality of services and growth of telecommunications in the State," the letter to DoT said.

At present, almost all private operators including Tata Teleservices, Reliance Infocomm and Bharti Tele-Ventures offer telephone services in Maharashtra. Point of interconnection with BSNL is necessary because the state-owned company is the largest operator in the country with more than 55 million subscribers. Without adequate interconnection, subscribers of private operators like Tata and Reliance cannot make a call to BSNL users.