TRAI changes norms for submission of accounts by service providers

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued changed norms for submission of accounts by service providers, clubbing reports of various segments into seven heads from the eleven earlier.

According to the new changes made in accounting separate regulations 2016 on Saturday, the operators will be liable to merge the access service (full mobility) and access service (WLL) as access service (wireless).

As per the statement released by the telecom regulator, separate reports for services like tower business, dark fibre and cable landing station has been done away and are now captured under other specified telecom services.

The report added that separate reports for postpaid and prepaid segments under access services have also been discontinued.

The "Reporting System on Accounting Separation Regulations, 2016" has been issued by repealing the 2012 regulations.

It said that in order to capture the current developments in the Indian telecom service sector and to eliminate the difficulties/concerns with regard to the requirements/ reporting under

Accounting Separation Regulations (ASR) 2012, the authority has notified the 2016 regulations.

It further said the authority is of the view that the present turnover criteria of Rs 100 crore should facilitate in collection of representative data from a range of medium to large TSPs.

Therefore, the authority now decides to continue the ASR 2016 with the existing limit of aggregate turnover of Rs 100 crore or more.