BSNL to lower carriage charge to route MTNL STD traffic

Under pressure to reduce carriage charge from the current 65 paise to retain MTNL's STD traffic, state-run BSNL today expressed willingness to lower the charge, a move which will lead to lower STD call rates between Delhi and Mumbai to start with.

"Price points can always be negotiated. There is always a possibility of negotiating outside with MTNL. Talks are going on in this regard," BSNL chief managing director AK Sinha said on the sidelines of a Wimax seminar.

Sinha said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had removed the floor rate for carriage charges (Rs 19 paise-Rs 1.10) and now there was only a ceiling rate of 65 paise above which the carriage charge could not be applied.

Sinha, however, did not disclose to what extent BSNL would lower the price. MTNL is believed to have asked for a carriage charge for 40 paise.

Sinha indicated towards a variable carriage cost, saying "traffic in Delhi and Mumbai is different (lucrative) and other parts of the country are of a different nature. Carriage charges can be variable. We can't only carry losing (unremunerative traffic covering nooks and corners of the country) traffic".