Trai Asks Reliance, Tatas To Roll Back Tariffs

Rates not compliant with interconnect charges norms: Regulator

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has asked Reliance Infocomm and Tata Teleservices to revise their tariffs for WLL limited mobility services announced on May 1 because they were not compliant with the new interconnect norms. The move comes after the two companies failed to resolve the concerns raised by the telecom regulator.

Official sources said Trai had communicated its intentions to the two companies during the classificatory meetings held recently. The sources said the regulator was likely to send an official directive to this effect in the next few days, if the companies did not submit their new tariff plans.

Trai had raised objections to the low STD tariff offered by the two operators. While Reliance was offering long-distance calls at 40 paise a minute, Tata Teleservices had announced a 55 paise STD rate.

Tata Teleservices sources said the company would comply with the Trai directive and would submit its revised tariffs in the next 24 hours.

The new Trai directive could see the end of Reliance