JIO CALL FAILURES DUE TO `VIOLATION' OF LICENCE NORMS BY TELCOS: TRAI

Jio call failures due to `violation' of licence norms by telcos: Trai

Can't Give Higher Interconnect Rates For Unequal Traffic'

Telecom Regulatory Aut hority of India (Trai) chairman R S Sharma has said that there is a “prima facie violation“ of interconnect norms over large number of call failures on the network of Reliance Jio as licensing conditions and quality of service norms have been breached.Sharma tells TOI in an interview that he finds no merit in the allegations of incumbent operators that there is an asymmetry of traffic. Excerpts:

What's your view on development over the issue of interconnect points in the past few weeks?

I feel very bad. It's not a good thing to happen as consumers are suffering. Consumers have a right to make calls, irrespective of the operator. Licensing conditions clearly state that it is mandatory for a licensee (telecom company) to provide interconnection.

Prima facie, do you feel that there has been an issue with interconnect?

There has been a very serious issue. As per the numbers provided by one operator, the call failure was very high. It is 80%, 90%, 70%. As per regulations, it cannot be more than 0.5%. So, it is really very shocking. The customer is suffering unnecessarily . We have asked for an explanation from the service providers concerned. We have also issued a show-cause notice -why action should not be taken for violating the licensing conditions as well as the quality of service norms.

Is there a violation of licensing conditions?

Prima facie, it's a violation and that is why we wanted to hear the operators before we come to a determination about a violation and who has done the violation.

Incumbents Airtel, Vodafone and Idea have been speaking in one voice through the platform of COAI, raising concerns over possible cartelization. The issue has also been raised by Jio. Do you agree?

There are couple of arguments that I have seen. One argument is that there is an asymmetry of traffic and therefore the 14 paise charge of interconnect is inadequate.Asymmetry of traffic is at the basis of this (interconnect) charge. If traffic flow between two operators is equal, then there is no need for interconnect charges. So asymmetry is built in. It is because of asymmetry that you have interconnect charge. If there was no asymmetry , there was no need for an interconnect charge.

On the allegation (of incumbents) that there is a huge asymmetry , the point is that interconnect charge does not prescribe the limit of asymmetry . The demand of incumbents that 14 paise rate is less and so they will not handle the traffic is like saying that since the law is very strict, we will not be abide by it.

(toi)