Asergis Telecom Services, a fully-owned subsidiary of UK-based Asergis Global Services today filed a petition in telecom tribunal (TDSAT) for restraining Bharti Airtel from blocking its toll free Intelligent Network (IN services) numbers.
Asergis has taken toll-free numbers on lease from Tata Teleservices to avail the facility of audio conferencing (Intelligent Network or IN services). Bharti Airtel and Tata Teleservices have an interconnection agreement between themselves. In the IN services, a toll free number is alloted and the caller does not have to bear the cost of call and charges are paid by the company holding the number.
In the petition before Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), Asergis Telecom has alleged that Airtel was blocking its subscribers from accessing Asergis toll-free numbers on the plea that calls were terminating outside India.
The firm has requested the tribunal to declare Airtel's action as "illegal and in breach of the UASL (Unified access Service Licence)" and to restrain it "from withdrawing access to the inter connection between Airtel and Tata Teleservices" of its IN numbers.
”The whole episode has left our customers wondering if we are at fault, therefore tarnishing our reputation; and which only the TDSAT can now fully restore with an emphatic win for us in this case. We are seeking damages of Rs 2.5 crore per week. We will also seek consequential damages in addition of those for loss of reputation,”
George Adade, CEO, Asergis Telecom said.
Asergis, after getting license for Voice Mail/ Audiotex services from the government, had set up the network with 71 toll free numbers leased from Tata Teleservices for providing Audio conferencing to its IN customers.
The firm contended that from September 11 this year Bharti had blocked access to calls originating from its subscribers in India on IN services alleging that it was using it to provide to its customer outside India.
"The petitioner has denied the allegation and as submitted earlier is providing the Audio conferencing service in India. The CDR (call data record) for the Month of August & September, 2012 of the Toll free numbers of the petitioner makes it abundantly clear that no call originating in the Toll free of the petitioner has been forwarded to a destination outside India," said the firm in its plea.
The firm contended that Airtel cannot "take unilateral decision to block the access of its subscribers" by "assuming the role of licensor and regulator". It further contended that it was "causing great and serious loss, financial and of reputation" to the company.