Long-distance operator: No choice for consumers

Carrier access codes may be dumped

Telecom carrier access codes, which would have allowed a telephone user to choose his long-distance operator, may be dumped.

Officials in the Telecom Regulatory Authority said the implementation of the system was being reviewed and admitted there were "genuine technical and financial difficulties" in implementing it.

They, however, said the issue was still on the regulator's agenda and a decision would be arrived at soon. The regulator today held a meeting with industry players on the issue and have asked them to submit views on how to move forward with carrier access codes.

The department of telecommunications has also written to the regulator asking it to delay the use of carrier access codes by a year. The system, which was to have set in last year, has already been delayed by a lack of consensus among operators on how to implement it.

Some telecom operators have said carrier access codes have lost relevance because competition is achieving the objectives of the system.

"The primary objective of the carrier access codes was to offer consumers choice. But competition has brought down long-distance charges to Rs 2 a minute, and no one can afford to compromise on quality. So there is no point in operators being made to bear the cost of implementing the system," an executive with fixed-line telecom company said.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has refused to implement the system unless the cost of upgrading its network to accept the codes was borne by either the government or by private operators.

BSNL has said since private long-distance operators will gain the most, the cost of implementing the system, around Rs 1,000-1,500 crore, must be borne by them.

The use of carrier access codes will raise the digits of a telephone number to 15. BSNL exchanges are equipped to handle 12 digits. The government had allocated the prefix '55' and '50' to Bharti Infotel and BSNL, respectively, as carrier access codes.

However, other long-distance operators are in favour of the system. They say carrier access codes will not only allow firms to compete on quality but also allow access to BSNL's 40 million fixed-line users who account for over 60 per cent of the long-distance traffic.