Tatas seek connect with RCom's ILD network

Tata Teleservices, the Tata Group's CDMA-based mobile service provider, is seeking to interconnect with rival Reliance Communications' new international long-distance network and is believed to have sought the Department of Telecommunications'(DoT) approval for starting commercial operations over it. Tata Teleservices spokesperson confirmed the development, and said: "We have written to theDoT seeking clarity on the issue."

Earlier, the companies were not able to access each other's points of interconnect, an issue that was resolved when Anil Ambani took over the reins of RCom. The companies had also disagreed over accessibility of cable landing stations (CLS), with RCom owning submarine cable network Flag and the Tata group controlling the CLS in Mumbai.

Sources close to the development say Tata Tele is seeking to interconnect with the next generation network (NGN) for routing its global traffic due to the absence of an international point of interconnect with RCom. The companys communication to DoT say, "We propose to interconnect to Reliance Communications NGN and start commercial traffic soon".

A Reliance Communications spokesperson confirmed the development, but declined to provide further details of the interconnect proposals.

The commencement of the new network will enable RCom to carry over 12 billion minutes of international minutes every year, up from the current 4.5 billion minutes.

The Anil Ambani group company, which is planning to complete the construction of its NGN network by this week, has been in talks with various telecom services for interconnect agreements over the network.

Last month, RCOM completed NGN technology installations at international gateways in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata from where the traffic would be routed to a media gateway in Navi Mumbai. The four International Gateways in India would be connected on company's Flag Global network at Los Angeles, New York, London and Hong Kong.