TDSAT directs Tata Teleservices to pay Vodafone SMS termination fee
Tata Teleservices (TTL) has been instructed by the telecom tribunal TDSAT to pay a 5 paise fee for every SMS that terminated on the Vodafone India network. This figure for the SMS termination fee is half of what Vodafone claims it is owed by TTL as the net flow of SMS since it filed the petition. TDSAT has asked the TTL to pay this amount in the interim, until the issue can be resolved.
The tribunal has asked Vodafone not to terminate interconnection services to TTL in the meanwhile. Last week, TTL moved the telecom tribunal against Vodafone’s notice, which threatened to disconnect SMSes from its network if TTL failed to clear Rs. 188 crore as the SMS termination fee by November 17. TTL also claims that Vodafone changed the IUC (Interconnection Usage Charges) conditions.
In a similar case, Vodafone last week imposed a partial ban on all SMSes to the Aircel network over the issue of non-payment of termination charges. This move comes shortly after Airtel announced a blanket ban on Aircel. Airtel and Vodafone are India’s top two operators.
While Airtel ban on the Airtel network is applicable pan India, Vodafone has blocked Aircel in a few circles only – Chennai, rest of Tamil Nadu, New Delhi and Karnataka. Despite the partial ban, the move would have a huge impact on a large number of Aircel subscribers.
Source: TOI