TRAI may meet telcos on international termination charges

The telecom regulator is likely to meet telecom operators on October 16 to review international termination charge, PTI reported.

According to the report, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) may ask telcos to give the presentation on the global practices, factors affecting such rates and to suggest suitable methods for charges.

TRAI is also planning to come out with a seperate regulation for international termination charges.

To recall, last month TRAI has slashed interconnection usage charges to 6 paise per minute from 14 paise minute even when incumbents have also demanded to increase the IUC rates to 28- 35 paise per minute from the present level of 14 paise a minute.

TRAI in its statement said that for mobile to mobile, termination charge has been reduced from 14 paisa per minute to 6 paise per minute effective October 1.

For other types of calls (such as wireline to mobile, wire-line to wireline and wire-line to mobile) the termination charge would continue to remain zero.From 1st January 2020 onwards the termination charge for all types of domestic calls shall be zero."

Trai further said that there would be no call termination charges applicable from 1 January 2020.

The IUC rates have been the biggest issue between incumbents telcos and Reliance Jio.

"On the basis of comments received from stakeholders, in writing or during the open house discussion or during the workshop, the Authority has prescribed revised domestic mobile termination charges through these regulations," Trai said in the statement.

Interconnection charges are paid by one telecom company to another for using the latter's network to complete calls.