Tata Teleservices approaches TDSAT over SMS dispute with Vodafone

Tata Teleservices has approached telecom tribunal TDSAT against Vodafone's notice threatening to disconnect termination of SMSes on its network over a dispute on certain fees.

Vodafone had issued termination notice to Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) asking it to pay Rs 188 crore as SMS termination fee by November 17, failing which it would disconnect the Tata group firm SMSes from its network.

TTSL's petition was put today before a special vacation bench of Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

During the proceedings, both the parties agreed to put the matter on November 20 for next hearing.

Meanwhile, Vodafone has also assured the tribunal that it would not stop interconnection of TTSL SMSes from its network till the next date of hearing.

"As agreed by both the parties, this matter may be put up on November 20, 2012 under the same heading," said TDSAT member P K Rastogi in his short order.

Vodafone is demanding termination fee from TTSL at the rate of 10 paise per SMS from April 2011.

Termination charges are paid by an operator from whose network calls or SMSes originate to the one on whose network these communications end. These charges impact tariffs.