BSNL ignores TRAI directive,phones remain disconnected

BSNL authorities said they have not received any instructions.

“We have not received any directions from the headquarters till now,” BSNL Punjab Circle General Manager Naresh Sharma.

But private service operators have no hopes of connectivity being restored,as they cite previous instances where BSNL had challenged TRAI jurisdiction to issue directions.

“In the past,BSNL had challenged the powers of TRAI to pass any directions to it. The authorities are yet to take a final call on the jurisdiction of TRAI,” Cellular Operators Association of India Director-General Ranjan Mathews said.

BSNL’s Sharma refused to comment where the telecom PSU had challenged TRAI’s jurisdiction to pass orders.

Meanwhile,services between BSNL landline phones and Airtel,Idea and Vodafone services continued to remain adversely affected.

TRAI in its detailed judgment on October 18 had directed BSNL to “immediately restore all points of interconnection” disconnected by it and submit a compliance report by Friday.

On September 30,TDSAT too,had asked BSNL to restore the connectivity.

The stand off between BSNL and private service operators over the payment of revised carriage charges has been continuing for over two weeks.

Regulator’s Order

“In exercise of the powers conferred upon the authority and in order to ensure compliance of terms and conditions of Basic telephone service licence,effective interconnection between service providers and to protect consumer interest and also keeping in view the aforesaid order dated September 30 of TDSAT,the authority hereby directs BSNL to restore all points of interconnection disconnected by it in the Punjab Service Area immediately and report complaint by October 21. Unavailability of interconnection between networks of service providers results in non-completion of calls,causes disruption of service and inconvenience to the subscribers of both the interconnecting service providers and leads to deterioration in the quality of service provided by the service provider and is against the interest of the consumers and service providers.”