Amendment to the Telecommunication Interconnection Regulations

TRAI has by its Notification dated July 10, 2020 issued the Telecommunication Interconnection (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2020 to simplify the framework for interconnection of calls between two Public Switched Telephone Networks (‘PSTN’) or between a PSTN and a National Long Distance network (collectively, ‘Calls’). The revised framework for interconnection envisages that the location of point of interconnection (‘POI’) for the Calls within a service area will be a place mutually agreed between interconnection provider and interconnection seeker. If the provider and the seeker fail to agree, the location of POI for the Calls will be at the Long Distance Charging Center (‘LDCC’); and the charges for carriage of Calls from LDCC to Short Distance Charging Center (‘SDCC’) and vice versa will be payable by the seeker to the provider. Further, the existing POIs at SDCC level for the Calls will remain in operation for at least five years or until the time mutually agreed between interconnected service providers to close such POIs, whichever is earlier.