New Delhi: Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on March 27 welcomed Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) decision to postpone implementation of interconnect usage charge (ICU) regime by a month saying this would give them sufficient time to make preparations for introduction of new tariffs.

"We have been talking to TRAI seeking more time to implement IUC regime along with alternate tariffs. We are happy that we have one month to make necessary preperations in this regard," MTNL chief Narinder Sharma said.

MTNL's alternate tariff plans, which are with the TRAI, have not yet been cleared pending some clarifications.

Sharma also said that extension of two months would have been better.

BSNL chairman and managing director Prithipal Singh said the corporation had been in talks with TRAI on this matter.

"We had filed our tariffs with them. They were not approved as some clarifications were required so it was not possible to implement the IUC from April 1, 2003."

He said BSNL has already submitted its revised plans to TRAI and hoped that they would be cleared soon.

S C Khanna, secretary general of Association of Basic Telecom Operators declined to comment saying it had already challenged the IUC regime in TDSAT and hence the Tribunal would take a decision on this.

PTI