Cellular subscribers can look forward to free incoming calls from all networks from Thursday, with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Wednesday stating that the interconnect usage charge regime would become effective from May 1.

TRAI has also cleared all basic telephony tariffs filed by fixed line operators till April 27, and these tariffs would also come into effect from on Thursday.

However, in an unexpected move, TRAI said that since it was in the process of examining cellular and WLL tariff packages submitted late by operators, for the month of May it would allow them to implement tariffs without prior approval and at their responsibility, on the condition that they meet certain general regulatory principles.

But all tariffs to be implemented after May 31 should have prior approval of the authority.

Listing out the criteria required to be met by operators for introduction of tariffs, TRAI chairman Pradip Baijal said the operators should themselves withdraw the tariffs which are not IUC compliant (meaning tariffs which do not allow margins for payment of IUC rates) and cellular operators should ensure that from May 1 that no tariff is levied on incoming calls.

Among other conditions specified, TRAI has directed the operators to withdraw those tariffs which are discriminatory (tariffs which discriminate between operators within the same class of service in terms of pulse duration or pulse usage).

The process of finalisation of tariffs for cellular and WLL mobile would take the month of May and hence the tariffs decided by the operators will continue till May 31 or till a period that TRAI intervenes and advises change in those tariffs, Baijal said.

The other criteria which would have to be complied with by the operators, while introducing the new tariffs from tomorrow, include that the tariffs should be specified inclusive of the relevant IUC charge and hence the charge should be a single amount.

The customers should not be charged any IUC separately.

The operators should also withdraw tariffs which after the payment of IUC and after the removal of discrimination between operators are predatory, TRAI said.

Giving details of the tariffs filed by operators, Baijal said in the case of fixed line, 17 operators have filed 187 plans till April 27 and out of this 124 plans have been approved by the regulator while in case of 63 plans, TRAI has sought clarifications.

In the case of WLL, Baijal said the regulator has not cleared any proposal and it had raised some objections.

Regarding Reliance, he said they have submitted their tariffs with TRAI and the regulator is currently examining them.

Cellcos have withdrawn IUC appeal

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said that cellular operators had withdrawn their petition in the telecom tribunal challenging the interconnect usage charges regime.

"IUC rates are final now. Cellular operators have withdrawn their appeal in TDSAT on the issue of IUC," TRAI chairman Pradip Baijal said.

However, TRAI has issued a consultation note on IUC which deals with certain aspects of the regime, such as Inter-circle call over 500 kilometres.

For an intercircle call over 500 kilometres, the charges at originating and terminating end with uniform access deficit charge (ADC) would be Rs 2 per minute each, while the carriage charge as per IUC regulation is Rs 1.10 per minute, taking the total charge to Rs 5.10 per minute as against the approved tariff of Rs 4.80 for the distance slab.

"The issue of consultation is that how this shortfall of 30 paise per minute should be distributed amongst originating carriage and terminating service provider," TRAI said.

The COAI officials, could not be contacted for comments.