The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) yesterday heard the cellular operators and the department of telecommunications (DoT) on their row over fixed-to-cellular call charge controversy.
TRAI led by its chairman Justice S S Sondhi heard presentations by counsels of both the parties. The authority is yet to take a decision.
The cellular operators said that the DoTs argument justifying the sudden hike in non-metro fixed-to-cellular call charges was flawed. It was against the basic agreement between individual operators and the DoT.
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They said DoT did not recognise the concept of local calls in mobile circles.
But the truth was that in metro circles, the fixed to mobile calls were on the basis of a local call concept with outstation calls being charged extra.
They said the same concept could be applied to non-metro circles depending upon distance.
The operators quoted the examples of cellular-fixed call tariff structures as they are in other countries to point out that the DoT system of charges was irrational.