New Delhi: Undeterred by defiance shown by cellular operators to its authority, telecom regulator TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) on January 14 warned of strict action in case they failed to provide interconnection for WLL-based mobile services of basic telecom companies within 24 hours.

The warning came within hours of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) charging TRAI with showing "bias and favouritism" towards some telecom companies for their limited mobile services based on Wireless in Local Loop (WLL) technology and threatening not to comply with the regulator's directive on interconnect.

Charging COAI with adopting "pressure tactics", TRAI said in a letter to cellular operators including Bharti, Hutch and IDEA (a venture between Tatas, Birlas and AT&T), "if in 24 hours the traffic is not through, the Authority will take action".

PTI