The Hindu Business Line : TDSAT orders Tata Tele to pay access deficit charge on Walky

THE Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) today said that the fixed wireless telephones being offered by Tata Teleservices under the `Walky' brand would be treated at par with WLL (mobile) services and ordered the company to start paying access deficit charges (ADC) for the same.

The TDSAT order comes as blow to all CDMA-based operators that were demanding a review of the Government's decision to consider fixed wireless terminals as limited mobile services.

The immediate impact may be on the fixed wireless telephone users who have been paying landline rates so far. With the imposition of ADC ranging between 30 paise and 50 paise a minute, the tariff is likely to increase to that extent.

"As per licensing conditions, fixed wireless service has to be provided within the subscriber premises, wherever it is not, it has to be treated as WLL (M)," the TDSAT order said.

Tata Teleservices would now have to pay the deficit charge to BSNL in order to fund its telephone services in rural areas. The net outgo could be anywhere between Rs 350 crore and Rs 400 crore every year and that could mean an increase in Walky tariffs.

Tata Teleservices had approached the telecom tribunal on the grounds that BSNL was demanding ADC on Walky, which it said was a fixed telephone service.

As per the existing ADC regime, fixed telephone operators do not have to pay the charges while mobile operators have to pay.

Disallowing the Tata petition, the TDSAT order said, "Walky should not be regarded as anything else but WLL (M). As per licensing conditions, fixed wireless service has to be provided within the subscriber premises, wherever it is not, it has to be treated as WLL (M)."

There are 60 lakh fixed wireless phone users in the country.

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