Internet service providers have asked for an access charge of 25 paise a minute from basic operators for calls made by customers to surf the Internet.

The move comes after the telecom regulator recently permitted an access charge to cell operators for calls made from fixed lines.

In a letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, ISPs said, "In a multi-operator scenario, every operator should be compensated for use of its network by others. In case of dialup Internet access, the call originates in the network of the basic operators, while it terminates in the network of an ISP."

The Internet Service Providers Association of India has said the ISPs often pay for a substantial portion of the transit charge.

There is a strong case to notify a termination charge of at least 25 paise per minute for such calls.

This is the termination charge specified by TRAI in the IUC regulation for local calls between two different fixed service providers.

The association has said they have been left out from the recent interconnection rates announced by TRAI.