Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Communications & Information Technology
21-December-2012 15:36 IST
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today released ‘The International Telecommunication Cable Landing Stations Access Facilitation Charges and Co-Location Charges Regulations, 2012’.
Access Facilitation Charges (AFC) are the charges, which are payable by International Long Distance Operators (ILDO)/ Internet Service Providers (ISP) to the owner of the cable landing station to access the acquired international bandwidth in a submarine cable. Submarine cables provide vital international telecommunication links between countries across the world. Submarine cables terminate in the country through cable landing stations.
TRAI issued ‘International Telecommunication Access to Essential Facility at Cable Landing Station Regulations’ on 7th June, 2007. In 2007, with approval of the Authority owner of cable landing stations published the AFC (a) when access is provided at Cable Landing Station and (b) At alternate location when space is not available at CLS. With a view to align AFC with current cost and utilization, TRAI issued consultation paper on 22nd March, 2012. On the basis of cost data submitted by service providers, TRAI estimated Access Facilitation Charges and issued a consultation paper on “Estimation of Access Facilitation Charges and Co-location Charges at Cable Landing Stations” on 19th October, 2012 for further comments/counter comments of stakeholders.
On the basis of comments/ counter comments received from stakeholders and further analysis, TRAI today issued the regulations, which will come into effect from 1st January 2013. In these regulations, the Authority has specified following Access Facilitation Charges:
Sl. No. | Capacity | Access Facilitation Charges Per Unit Capacity Per annum (in Rs.) |
At Cable Landing Station | At Alternate location (Meet Me Room) |
(a) | STM-1 | 36,000 | 1,11,000 |
(b) | STM-4 | 93,000 | 2,88,000 |
(c) | STM-16 | 2,40,000 | 7,50,000 |
(d) | STM-64 | 6,25,000 | 19,50,000 |
These charges are substantially lower than the prevailing charges and are likely to result in:
· Reduction in the price of International Private Leased Circuits (IPLC) for BPOs/ Call Centers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and other information technology enabled service providers.
· Availability of International bandwidth at competitive price to ILDOs/ ISPs for rapid growth of Broadband services.
· International carriage of voice / data at competitive rates.
· Boosting of competition in the International bandwidth segment.
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MV/RK
Access Facilitation Charges set for submarine cable landing stations to lower international bandwidth costs and spur competition. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued regulations, effective 1 January 2013, prescribing Access Facilitation Charges payable by International Long Distance Operators and Internet Service Providers to cable landing station owners for defined capacity blocks, with distinct per-unit annual charges for access at Cable Landing Stations and at alternate meet-me room locations, replacing the previously higher charges and aiming to lower international carriage and IPLC prices and stimulate competition.
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