TDSAT to decide Trai, VSNL row

The Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) will decide if the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's order on international bandwidth pricing can be challenged.

The Trai maintains that price fixation is its exclusive domain and being a legislative function of a statutory body, it cannot be challenged.

But state-run Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) is of the view that orders relating to international bandwidth is quasi-judicial and can be challenged.

In addition to questioning the need to regulate international bandwidth, the service provider has communicated to the tribunal that the Trai has not shared relevant data with it before the tariff revision.

Both sides have completed their arguments in the case and the tribunal is expected to give its verdict in the near future. Trai has already deferred the implementation of the order by a month to May 1 for VSNL while the order is in place for other providers.