DoT may alter metro STD call patterns

The department of telecom (DoT) is exploring the possibility of local call dialing from the three metros - Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata - in their respective states as well as eastern and western part of UP - a move which, if implemented, may lower the current level of STD call charges to local rates apart from offering user-friendly dialing.

DoT has called a meeting with the industry for getting their view on mobile-to-fixed line calls and vice versa between the three metros with their respective states - Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu - as well as the adjoining areas of UP (East) and UP (West), on March 9.

Triggerd by the idea of doing away with the STD charges for mobile-to-fixed line or a fixed line-to-mobile call within the state (from the metro circle to rest of the state or vice versa), DoT is of the view that there is no need for a mobile subscriber in the metro circles to prefix a zero to access a fixed phone in rest of their respective states, sources said.

"Calls throughout the circle could be set up without dialing zero," sources said, adding the fact that "subscribers would not have to dial through STD lines, and that would reduce call charges."

The local call dialing is already active in many parts of the country. While a Mumbai-to-Pune call is treated as an STD call despite the two cities being part of the Maharashtra circle, a mobile user in Punjab, making a Jalandhar-to-Ludhiana call has to pay only the local call charges.