The Hindu : Business : TRAI issues notice to six private mobile operators

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 08, 2006

Business

Business

TRAI issues notice to six private mobile operators

Special Correspondent

`Companies must augment their existing PoIs to reduce congestion'

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday issued show cause notices to six private mobile operators for failing to maintain the congestion rate at points of interconnection (PoI) below the prescribed limits.

The TRAI felt that these companies had ignored its warnings to the extent that the congestion rate actually deteriorated at several PoIs.

However, it noticed an improvement in other quality of service (QoS) parameters and decided not to tackle the matter for the time being although some companies failed to achieve the stipulated benchmarks.

The six companies served show cause notices are: Bharti, Tata Teleservices, Reliance Infocomm and Reliance Telecom, BPL Mobile and Spice Communication. There was no deterioration in congestion in the case of five mobile companies, including both state owned companies — Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited. The private companies are: Hutchison Essar, Idea Cellular and Aircel Cellular.

A TRAI note recorded its frequent requests to the companies to improve the congestion at PoIs and did not uphold their plea that the main reason was delayed grant of PoIs by other telecom companies. The note mentioned a dozen PoIs where the congestion rate was over 80 per cent."

The TRAI advised companies to take the legal option in case other phone companies delayed providing additional PoI.

At the same time, the companies must augment their existing PoIs to reduce congestion, it said.

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