Telecom: CCP strikes down ICH proposal
Gateway ICH is supposed to converge all international calls to a single technical gateway led by PTCL.
ISLAMABAD:
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has recommended that the Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) withdraw their proposal for the establishment of an international clearing house (ICH) exchange for international incoming calls for long distance international, fixed-line local loops, wireless local loops and mobile operators. The gateway ICH is supposed to converge all international calls to a single technical gateway led by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), against the current practice of being handled by 14 long distance international operators. The CCP has advised the Ministry of Information Technology and the PTA that any such arrangement will not be tenable in accordance with the Competition Act, 2010.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2012.
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has recommended that the Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) withdraw their proposal for the establishment of an international clearing house (ICH) exchange for international incoming calls for long distance international, fixed-line local loops, wireless local loops and mobile operators. The gateway ICH is supposed to converge all international calls to a single technical gateway led by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), against the current practice of being handled by 14 long distance international operators. The CCP has advised the Ministry of Information Technology and the PTA that any such arrangement will not be tenable in accordance with the Competition Act, 2010.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2012.