Telcos oppose TRAI proposal on stress-free norms for digital community operators

Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Concept have opposed the telecom regulator’s proposal to permit digital community operators (VNOs) to hyperlink up with a number of telecom firms in a circle. The telecom operators have argued that the regulator itself had dominated out such an association earlier.

“On wanting on the final 15 years of the VNO regime (ranging from 2008, when the difficulty was first introduced up for dialogue and proposals issued by TRAI, to 2016 when the VNO licensing regime in India was formalised), what is obvious is that the Regulator has mentioned, debated and given its suggestions on particular facets of multi-parenting umpteen occasions, and reiterated at each level that it doesn’t help multi-parenting,” Airtel mentioned in a letter to the TRAI.

VNOs are operators which don’t personal any infrastructure or spectrum. They lease capacities from bigger telecom operators after which resell knowledge and voice companies. Beneath present guidelines, a VNO is allowed to accomplice with just one telecom operator in an space. TRAI has proposed to permit VNOs to accomplice a number of gamers in a bid to make their enterprise case extra viable. Only some VNOs are current out there as a result of powerful working situations.

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“All the principle 4 telecom operators (i.e. RJIL, Bharti Airtel, VI & BSNL) present each wireline and wi-fi companies and any multi parenting involving two of those service suppliers, albeit for separate companies, would result in pointless competitors and favouritism associated points apart from the technical and monitoring associated points,” Reliance Jio mentioned.

“We imagine that there isn’t any want to alter the prevailing provisions that prohibit the VNOs from being parented by multiple telco for entry companies and different such companies which want numbering and distinctive identification of the shopper,” Jio added.

Vodafone Concept mentioned that the session paper issued by TRAI doesn’t carry any evaluation of the problems nor does it comprise any influence evaluation of the matter. “It’s pertinent to notice that via detailed consultative course of and proposals, TRAI had earlier really useful that VNOs be parented to single NSO in case of entry companies and companies which require a singular identification of the purchasers. TRAI had additionally noticed {that a} VNO can have parenting with just one NSO for companies which require distinctive identification by way of numbering, lawful interception, spectrum usages and so on,“ the operator mentioned.

“Provided that no particulars have been shared by TRAI on the necessity for any change or the influence/implications of such change and its results on the competitors, it’s our view that the present place needs to be maintained and VNOs shouldn’t be permitted to tie-up with multiple NSO for wireline/wi-fi service in an LSA. (service space),” Vodafone Concept mentioned.