New Delhi, June 06: Opposing the calling party pays regime, basic operators have asked telecom regulator Trai to hold open house consultations in smaller towns instead of having it only in four metros while reviewing the Interconnection User Charge as the issue affected common man. According to ABTO, the concept of CPP was not the subject of consultation of either the IUC or the basic and cellular services tariffs based on which Trai has introduced this in the IUC regulations, 2003.

On the contrary, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) supported the IUC regime and said: "All tariffs must be consistent with the IUC introduced by the regulator. Any tariff less by more than 10 per cent of this IUC value would be below cost and anti-competitive/predatory in nature."

COAI said, internationally CPP regime had two distinguishing features namely significant premium on mobility and a higher share for mobile operators.

"In India, however, fixed to cellular calls are priced at premium of 33 to 100 per cent of a fixed-to-fixed calls. Further, the cellular operators get around one-third of the charges while fixed operators retain two-third," COAI sources said here.

Bureau Report