Armed with a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal order, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Thursday asked BSNL through a regulation that it should stop charging transit fees on cellular operators for accessing BSNL's CellOne subscribers.

Wherever the mobile switching centres of both Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd's CellOne and private cellular mobile operators' are connected to the same BSNL switch, BSNL should stop charging 19 paise from cellular operators by way of transit charges for accessing BSNL CellOne subscribers, Trai said in a regulation notified on Thursday.

The regulation is in compliance with TDSAT's order of May 3 and comes with retrospective effect.

There has been no direct connectivity between BSNL Cellular and other private cellular companies. Traffic terminating in BSNL CellOne network was being routed through BSNL's PSTN switch and was being charged at 19 paise per minute, TDSAT had said.

In its order, TDSAT had also said that "on consideration of level playing field, we direct that BSNL should stop charging 19 paise from cellular operators by way of transit charges for accessing BSNL CellOne subscribers, wherever the MSCs of both BSNL CellOne and private CMSOs are connected to the same BSNL switch."

"We are of the view that our direction will take effect from the date of this judgement (May 3) and we authorise Trai to make this part of the regulatory regime," TDSAT said.

Generally Trai regulations or amendments to regulations are not given retrospective effect in the absence of specific empowerment in this regard. But the present regulation is being made effective from retrospective date -- date of TDSAT's order dated May 3, 2005.