The Hindu Business Line : TRAI tells operators to stop offering mobility on fixed WLL

THE mobility on your fixed wireless phones may now be restricted to within your house. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has sent a notice to all basic operators to immediately stop offering mobility on fixed wireless terminals or else face action.

The regulator may levy an access deficit charge (ADC) on WLL-based fixed wireless phones if the operators do not restrain the mobility of the service within the premises of the subscriber.

TRAI had earlier sent a show cause notice to Tata Teleservices, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and Reliance Infocomm for offering mobile services on fixed wireless telephones. Tata Teleservices has branded the service as `Walky' while Reliance is offering it as `unlimited cordless'.

In a notice issued to the operators, TRAI said, "The responses given by the service providers were not found to be in order. New terminals being deployed by access providers do not have any fixed network access point physically located at the address of the subscriber.

"As the issue of mobility has implications with respect to applicability of ADC, the authority directs the operators to strictly ensure that the terminal used for fixed wireless services should be strictly confined to the premises of the subscriber."

The TRAI note also said operators should also ensure that there are no misleading advertisements in the electronic and print media. "Any violation will attract action against you under the relevant clauses of the Licence Agreement," the TRAI notice said.

Senior TRAI officials said if the operators do not adhere to the order it may then be forced to impose an ADC on fixed wireless telephony.

TRAI has acted on complaints from State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and cellular operators that the companies were providing mobile services under the garb of fixed line telephony to take advantage of the Access Deficit Charge regime.

Fixed line operators are not only exempt from paying ADC but also receive charges for outgoing calls.

TRAI had initially asked the operators to withdraw the advertisements. Tata Teleservices had challenged that order in the Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal.

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