The Case for IUC Reforms

On August 5, 2016 Trai issued a consultation paper on “review of interconnect usage charges”. It has sought comments from the stakeholders primarily focusing on termination charges (TC), from mobile to mobile calls and international incoming calls. It seems from a reading of the consultation paper that the intention is to reduce the TC for mobile to mobile calls in the range of nil to well under Rs 0.14 per minute, the rate at which it is currently charged. For international incoming calls, the thinking appears to indicate an increase in the TC from the present level of Rs 0.53 per minute.