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TRAI-COAI spar on interconnect charges consultation paper
MUMBAI: Telco watchdog the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has garbaged allegations by the Cellular Operators Associaiton of India (COAI) that its latest consultation paper on call connect charges was “unfair” on incumbent operators and favouring newer entrants. TRAI chairman RS Sharma told PTI that the allegations against the regulator are “baseless.”
TRAI maintained that it will continue to work according to its mandate. “Trai will continue to work in the areas in which it is mandated to work…We will continue to perform functions assigned in the Trai Act, with regard to consumer protection, Quality of Service, encouraging competition, fair play and growth of industry,” Sharma said.
COAI had questioned the regulator’s urgency in initiating the process of reviewing interconnect charges – paid by one operator to another for connecting calls, which the association claimed “favours new entrants.” TRAI said it had undertaken this review in the backdrop of 4G and internet telephony changing the way consumers communicate.
Currently, termination charges for a mobile to mobile local and national long distance call is pegged at 14 paise per minute while the termination charges for international incoming call to wireless and wired line stands at 53 paise per minute.
Trai had sought fresh views on whether this should be continued or whether a new way of computing could be considered which is Bill and Keep (BAK) – to maximize consumer welfare, adoption of more efficient technologies and growth of the telecom sector. Under the BAK method, each telco bills its own subscribers for outgoing traffic that it sends to the other interconnecting network and keeps the revenue received from its subscribers.
COAI has finger pointed at the regulator’s suggestion, saying it essentially favours new operators as they would not have to pass any payments to existing older operators, while the latter would end up incurring costs. “This is a misguided effort from the TRAI that will help new entrants at the cost of the incumbent. We are extremely disturbed by this, this further tilts the level playing field,” COAI director general Rajan Matthews had stated yesterday.
This is not the first time that India’s private sector telecom operators have tried to put pressure on the regulator.
Even in the case of net neutrality and zero-rating plans of telecom operators, the telcos had termed certain orders of TRAI without any basis that did not give the telcos a level playing field against new technologies (OTT services like WhatsApp, Skype, etc) and their backers.
Matthews told PTI that his association had sought a meeting with the telecom minister and secretary “so that the matter can be debated in a transparent manner.”
The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd, which has a pan-India licence for providing telecom services by a subsidiary company under Reliance Jio brand name, is slated to launch its services formally later this year. Reliance Jio is also slated to offer its consumers hi-speed 4G broadband services on low-priced Lyf handsets at monthly subscription rates, telecoms observer opine, that are likely to start a blood-bath in the telecoms sector.
RIL also controls the Network18 media group, founded by Raghav Bahl, which owns several TV channels and online and digital properties.
In recent times, incumbent telecoms operators have been severely criticised within and outside the government for the low quality of services and rampant call-drops that TRAI had tried to rectify by proposing fines to benefit consumers.
This move and other such regulatory initiatives too were criticised by telecos and various telecom industry bodies like COAI and Broadband India Forum.
Interestingly, Reliance Jio is also a member of COAI, though, according to media reports, its position on the present round of TRAI bashing by telcos is not known and unclear.
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NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
