Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Within a week of private cellular operators slashing the mobile-to-mobile STD rates by upto 67 per cent beyond 200 kms, state-owned BSNL has finalised the new tariffs and would be announcing them soon on receipt of the telecom regulator8217;s approval.
8216;8216;We have finalised the new mobile-to-mobile STD tariffs and hopefully will send to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Trai by Tuesday,8217;8217; BSNL chairman and managing director Prithipal Singh said.
Last week, cellular operators had cut the STD tariffs to flat rate of Rs 2.99 a minute for long distance calls beyond 200 kms irrespective of time and distance, as a first step to take on the competition from the basic operators especially with regard to WLLM Telecom operations.
WLL phones demand interconnection with cell
New Delhi: The row over interconnection between basic and cell operators for wireless in local loop WLL based limited mobile operations has intensified with the the Association of Basic Telecom Operators ABTO writing to Communications and IT minister Pramod Mahajan to intervene to resolve the issue at the earliest. In its letter to Mahajan, ABTO has stated that 8216;8216;denial of interconnection by the cellular mobile service providers is violative of the basic rights of the consumers to be able to freely connect and talk to subscribers on any other network.8217;8217; Mahajan, at the launch of basic telecom operations by Tatas in Delhi last month, had said interconnection was the right of consumers and not operators.
When questioned cellular industry representatives said 8216;8216;our industry is ready, willing and able to provide interconnection tomorrow morning, subject to payment of reciprocal commercial interconnect terms. ENS
