Cell firms told to ease Net surfing

In a bid to increase Internet usage, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has directed all cellular operators to allow subscribers to access dial-up accounts from their mobile phones.

The directive would mean that cellular subscribers would be able to surf the Internet using Satyam or VSNL's ISP account just like a fixed line subscriber.

Until now mobile users wanting to surf the net could only do so through the Internet server set up by the mobile operator. Mobile users could not, for instance, dial up into Internet access codes starting with digits "172" .

Apart from enabling mobile users to use their dial up accounts on mobile phones, the new Trai directive would also bring in revenues to ISPs as they would get anywhere between Rs 6 and Rs 10 an hour from cellular subscribers surfing the net.

The mobile operators in turn would get revenues from the airtime used by the subscribers while surfing. Amitabh Singhal, secretary, Internet Service Providers Association of India said, "The Trai directive also ensures that mobile Internet is not limited only to those with WAP enabled handsets."