SC turns down BSNL plea on roaming charges

NEW Delhi, March 5 (PTI): The Supreme Court today said that state-owned BSNL is not entitled to charge private operators for providing signaling network for roaming services just on the basis of registration by their subscribers, even though they were not availing the facility. BSNL provides connection to private operators who offer roaming services to their subscribers and charge monthly registration fees at the rate of Rs 25 per user for domestic roaming and Rs 50 for international roaming.
There are several subscribers who register for the roaming service but may not avail the facility unless they move out from their home network. A bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia dismissed the BSNL plea that it was entitled to charge Rs 25 and Rs 50 for national and international roaming charged from the companies whether the registered subscriber avail the service or not.