TRAI asks GSM players to interlink RCOM for dual service

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday has asked Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) players including Bharti Airtel, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), IDEA Cellular and Vodafone Essar to provide inter-connectivity to Reliance Communications (RCom), so that RCom can begin its services in dual technology. Earlier, government has allowed RCom to expand its GSM and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) service in remaining circles on PAN India licence service basis.

TRAI has also directed the GSM players to cooperate the CDMA player to allow it in accessing the existing points of interconnection (POI)- used for exchange of traffic for network establishment- so that RCom can start its dual technology service.

‘In case, if any non-compliance found by the GSM players, action would be taken against operators as per the TRAI rules’, warned telecom regulator.

This instruction of TRAI came in the wake of regulator’s observation that some GSM operators are not allowing to open the interconnect codes to RCom which has been allocated to it for beginning its GSM mobile service.

At present, RCom is operating its GSM service in eight circles in the 2nd Generation (2G) services while it has also got permission for expanding its GSM service for the 3rd generation mobile service in all 22 circles on Pan-India licence.

The 3rd generation mobile service will begin after the 3G spectrum allocation for which Department of Telecommunication (DoT) had released the guidelines defining the auction process and licence fee.

DoT, as per official sources, is also considering to issue separate guidelines for CDMA players and would allocate spectrums in the bandwidths within 450 Mega Hertz (MHz) and 800 MHz, as the issued guidelines for 3G spectrum is only for GSM players for which RCom and Tata Teleservice have got permission to enter in the spectrum auction fray for beginning their dual technology service.

According to TRAI, there may be stiff competition in the auction of 3G spectrum as several international communication majors such as NTT DoCoMo, AT&T and Verizon are looking to enter in the fray.

RCOM will have to compete with existing GSM players as well as foreign firms in the 3G spectrum auction.

The existing GSM players, on the other hand are opposing the TRAI’s direction to allow RCom to enter in the GSM technology and for this, they have also filed petition in Telecom Disputes Settlement And Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) and High Court, opposing the government policy.

RCom’s GSM service in Delhi

For expanding its GSM service in remaining 14 circles, RCom is planning to initiate it from national capital. For this, it has already distributed 1,000 GSM connections to its employee for testing purpose. After completing the successful testing, RCom will launch this service officially on mega scale in the Delhi, as per official sources.