Nearly 45 million customers of three private cellular operators in Maharashtra, Goa and Haryana circles can expect no immediate resolution to the problem of zero connectivity to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) fixed line telephones, while the fate of around 16.5 million subscribers in Punjab will become clearer by October 21.
In a directive dated October 18 issued today, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has instructed BSNL to restore connectivity to private operators at all Points of Interface in the Punjab circle.
BSNL examining
Confirming that the BSNL had been issued with the TRAI directive, Mr R.K. Upadhyay, CMD, BSNL, said that it was being studied. “We have been given time till October 21, and we are doing a detailed examination,” he told Business Line , adding that BSNL's response will depend on closer study of the directive.
According to statistics provided by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the number of subscribers of Idea, Vodafone and Airtel affected in Maharashtra and Goa since October 14 when BSNL severed connectivity to its landlines, stands at 35 million. The number affected by a similar move in Haryana is 10 million.
COAI hails directive
Mr Rajan Mathews, Director-General of COAI, welcomed the TRAI directive and said it was hopeful that BSNL will restore connectivity in Punjab.
Asked why the COAI did not go to the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) for relief like other private operators like Reliance and Tata, he said, “We have appealed against the situation in the Supreme Court and our attorneys advised us that going back to TDSAT will weaken our case.”
The reason attributed by BSNL for suspension of interconnect services is the private operators' failure to pay their dues for the facility.
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