TDSAT notice to BSNL over quality norms

NEW DELHI: As part of efforts to improve the quality of telecom services, TDSAT on Tuesday issued notice to the state-owned BSNL, which has been accused by private operators for not providing crucial interconnection.

Accepting the request by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) to make BSNL a party in the dispute over interconnection between them and regulator TRAI, TDSAT sent the notice to the PSU.

COAI's counsel also said that BSNL, which provides Point of Interconnection (POI), has not installed much ports, in response to the growing number of subscriber in the country. It was acting as a bottleneck in the entire network.

"BSNL has itself delayed in its part ... if the corrective measures were not taken then we can not be penalised for poor quality of service," contended COAI said and added that as a regulator TRAI should also check the problem.

COAI has challenged an order by TRAI on quality service norms, in which the regulator had suggested that the call drop should not be more than 0.5 per cent.

As per the TRAI rules BSNL has to provide PIO with in three months after receiving the request from the operators.

However, opposing COAI, TRAI said," BSNL is not the sole villain in this game. They (COAI) are just justifying their own sins".

"Their own congestion network (within their network) is growing .... as this sector is growing up to 80 per cent and their infrastructure is same as was in 2003," contended TRAI adding that operators do not want to invest in their infrastructure.