Bsnl Slaps Additional Interconnect Levy

[abhay 0]

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has slapped a levy of Rs 15,000 per annum on private telecom operators for providing them additional interconnect -- a move that has enraged the operators.

The charge, which would be levied with retrospective effect, was described by operators as "arbitrary" and a result of BSNL's "unilateral decision."

BSNL informed Unified Service Access Licence operators that it had fixed a charge of Rs 15,000 per annum per E-1 link.

A circular, issued by BSNL in this regard recently, also insists that operators make provision for HDSL modems, besides convert all passive links to active links.

BSNL has insisted that all new PoIs will now be given only on the basis of active links, and all existing PoIs will have to be shifted to active link by December 2005.

"The charges fixed by BSNL are unilateral and arbitrary and have been done without any discussion with operators. This must be discussed with private operators and reasonable amount can be worked out and charges be accordingly fixed. There is no reasonable ground for levying the charge retrospectively", operators association AUSPI said in a letter to BSNL.

The passive links are deployed by service providers for Interconnection with BSNL.

Operators said HDSL modems were not required as all suitable protective actions were taken by service providers. The charge, which has recently been unilaterally fixed at the rate of Rs 15,000 per E-1 per annum, that too from back date is not fair and we consider it absolutely arbitrary."

This is despite the fact that the operators are not using any resource of BSNL like power, space, AC. In fact, there is no rationale for per E1 charges and charges, if at all, should be on per cable basis, operators said.

It was BSNL, which insisted that operators set up passive links, and now that they have already installed passive links, forcing them to migrate to active link would mean a drain on financial resources.

"Further, it may not be cost effective to our members to establish passive links in smaller locations, and thus insistence on active link not only will be uneconomical, but also this will delay the PoIs even further as the earlier points raised by BSNL against co-location ( union problems, lack of space etc) still prevail in the circles," AUSPI said.

Operators have asked BSNL to leave the choice of providing active links or passive links to them. This should be based on the techno-commercial feasibility.

It was BSNL, which insisted that operators set up passive links, and now that they have already installed passive links, forcing them to migrate to active link would mean a drain on financial resources.

Y DID BSNL HAVE TO SAY IT WANTED PASSIVE LINKS WHEN THEY HAD TO MIGRATE TO ACTIVE LINKS IN THE FUTURE