Trai asks GSM players to connect with RCom

MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Monday told GSM (global systems for mobile communications) players including Bharti Airtel and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd that “existing points of interconnection (POI) need to be used for exchange of traffic for networks established as a result of permission for use of both both CDMA (code division multiple access) and GSM technologies.”

The direction came after the regulator found that some GSM operators had failed to open the interconnect codes allocated to Reliance Communications (RCom) for its GSM mobile service.

While RCom is a CDMA leader, it was recently allowed by the government to offer pan-India GSM services simultaneously So far, the Anil Ambani group through Reliance Telecom was offering GSM in eight circles.

However, with the government permission to use dual technology across the country, RCom needs interconnectivity for offering the GSM service and GSM players are resisting the same.

The regulator has reminded the GSM operators that non-compliance of licence terms and conditions would result in action against these players under the Trai Act.

Besides RCom, another CDMA player, Tata Teleservices, has plans of offering GSM service.

GSM is the most widely used technology across the world, and many CDMA operators are switching to the system.