Feb 12, 2004 02:01 AM
3217 Views
(Updated Feb 12, 2004 02:01 AM)
Title : TRAI- Regulating What?
Review : TRAI seems to be the greatest culprit for the mess in the telecommunications field. It is a fact of life, that the greater the number of players the better it is for the customer both in terms of quality of service and in terms of tariffs. However, in our country after the advent of GSM and CDMA services there have been several big players trying to make a good profit. There is nothing in a business enterprise making profit from operations.
The moot point is why the so called regulator maintains stoic silence till the players perpetrate the damage. The most crooked example that I can cite is its silence when the Reliance infocomm started its services with so much of noise. They have been allowed to publicise the DAPO offer where the customer is supposed to get so much for a fixed price of Rs 600/- pm.
In brief, the customer was supposed to get free 400 minutes of outgoing calls, free R-world, free sms, Net connectivity at amazing speeds and so many other things which are too well known to all those interested in this type of service. After more than two months of stoic silence, the Regulator wakes up and rules that the servic provider should pay what is variously termed as inter-connect charges, off-net operator charges and similar technical jargon. What the hell had this regulator been doing while several gullible customers walked into the trap.
The Reliance people were obviously aware of these charges as can be seen from their publicity material. It can therefore be clearly inferred that the TRAI had allowed the Relince company to fool several thousands of customers. The reasons therefor are also too obvious. They have never bothered to reply to emails reuesting them to confirm if they have approved the Reliance people to lock the customers for three years.
The loss for so many customers can only be attributed to two possibilities - a) They are totally incompetent to know and perform their functions properly or b) They have obviosuly been purchased by the might of the Reliance Empire which appears to be more likely.
The dilly dallying of the full mobility issue for CDMA providers (like Reliance) and the subsequent manoeuvering in respect of the Revenue sharing agreement between the Cellular operators (GSM service providers) are all too loud and clear that in India, might continues to be right - always and forever.
Sadly, the role of this Regulator reminds of ''What should the crop do if the fence supposed to guard it starts eating the crop''. It is regulating the distribution of the hard earned money of the gullible and innocent customers into the coffers of the big industrial houses and I cannot resist from adding that it is for a unknown and hidden consideration.
Pros : None
Cons: Either totally incompetent or absolutely corrupt.
