Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

17.12.2019

Media and Communication

TRAI issues Regulations on wireless to wireless domestic call termination charges

MANU/TRAI/0140/2019

1. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today issued "The Telecommunication Interconnection Usage Charges (Fifteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2019" which prescribes revision in the date of applicability of Bill and Keep (BAK) regime in respect of wireless to wireless domestic call termination charges.

2. Domestic termination charges are the wholesale charges payable by a Telecom Service Provider (TSP) whose subscriber originates the call to the TSP in whose network the call terminates.

3. Key features of the Regulations are as follows:

a) For wireless to wireless domestic calls, termination charge would continue to remain as Re. 0.06 (paise six only) per minute up to 31st December, 2020.

b) From 1st January, 2021 onwards the termination charge for wireless to wireless domestic calls shall be zero.

4. TRAI issued a Consultation Paper (CP) for Review of Interconnection Usage charges on 18.09.2019 to seek the views of stakeholders on the review of date of applicability of BAK regime in respect of wireless to wireless termination calls. Stakeholders were asked to submit written comments by 18.10.2019 and counter-comments by 01.11.2019. The comments and the counter-comments received from the stakeholders were placed on the TRAI's website. An Open House Discussion was held on 15.11.2019 at New Delhi to discuss the issues with all stakeholders.

5. On the basis of comments received from stakeholders in writing and during the open house discussion, and its own analysis, the Authority has prescribed the revised date of applicability of Bill and Keep (BAK) regime i.e. zero termination charges in respect of wireless to wireless domestic calls w.e.f. 1st January 2021 through these Regulations, The objects and the reasons for the amendments in the Regulations are given in the Explanatory Memorandum annexed to the Regulations.

Tags : Regulations Issuance Charges

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