(Economic Times via NewsEdge) The Telecom regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has proposed an amendment to lower port charges for interconnection by 23% to 29% which may marginally reduce roaming charges.
Trai expects the operators to pass on the benefit of lower port charges to consumers by way of reduced tariffs.
Port is the point of interconnection between two different networks.
Port charges are payable by the interconnection seeker to the interconnection provider for terminating interconnection links.
Interconnection is a major bone of contention between private telecom operators and BSNL.
If the move to lower port charges is approved, BSNL's revenues may be severely dented.
In a regulation issued in 2001 on port charges, Trai had said that the authority may revisit and modify the port charges. The draft amendment regulations issued by Trai on port charges also mandate interconnection seekers to place their demand for the required number of ports for every Interconnection on the basis of traffic projection, annually.
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