TRAI willing, ISD calls may cost less from April 1
20 Mar 2007
New Delhi: Trai is considering reducing the access deficit charge on ISD calls from April 1.
The ADC on both outgoing and incoming ISD calls may be reduced by up to 50 pc and the current total ADC of 1.5 pc of gross revenue is also likely to come down to 1 pc.
As
per the road map, the total ADC, currently at Rs3,335
crore, should be lowered to Rs1,600-1,800 crore for
FY08 before being phased out by next fiscal to 0.
Even as state-owned BSNL has objected to reduction in ADC annually, Trai has been maintaining that the road map for phasing out the levy would be followed.
The domestic long distance (STD) call tariffs may also fall marginally as the reduction would be spread over to all segment but more on the ILD traffic.
However
the implementation of the new regime may get delayed
as the telecom tribunal TDSAT is hearing a petition
on ADC regime challenged by BSNL.