(Indian) Tribunal quashes cell firms' plea, clears way for WLL
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
[ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2002 01:35:38 AM ]
The TDSAT has dismissed a petition by the Cellular Operators Association of India seeking a stay on the use of mobile switching centres by basic telecom service operators providing limited mobile services using WLL.
The tribunal today said the department of telecommunications and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India should ensure that basic telecom operators comply with a government decision on January 25, '01.
The order allows a basic telecom licensee to provide, "hand-held telephone sets to its subscribers with wireless access systems subject to the condition that mobility with usage of these hand-held telephone sets shall be restricted within the local area."
Both cellular operators and basic telecom service providers, however, claimed victory. SC Khanna, secretary of association of basic telecom operators said, 'wireless access systems' include MSCs. "The only condition is that we cannot provide services outside an SDCA and are complying with this condition," said Khanna.
Cellular operators said the judgement clearly restricts new basic operators to wireless access systems. The old operators — Shyam, HFCL and Tata in Andhra Pradesh — are protected by another TDSAT order and can use MSCs.
COAI said as per the specifications set by the telecom engineering centre, wireless access systems do not include a mobile switching centre as part of the generic model specified by the TEC.
COAI director general, TV Ramachandran, said new telecom operators — Reliance Infocom and Tata Teleservices — cannot use mobile switching centres in their network.
"We will approach both DoT and TRAI, asking them to take immediate steps to enforce these terms and not allow fixed service providers to use MSCs in violation of the terms of licence," said Mr Ramachandran.
All basic telecom operators use state-of-the-art MSC-based networks which not only reduce network cost, but also permit operators to offer mobile services.
Cellular operators fear it would be difficult to stop basic telecom operators from providing full mobile services, and want them to use only V5.2 as interface technology.
TDSAT also said it would hear another COAI petition seeking to make it mandatory for basic telecom operators to use V5.2 as interface within 10 weeks.
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