New Delhi: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Pradip Baijal today (May 26, 2004) dismissed as "nothing exceptional", the protest by Reliance Infocomm against the regulator's recommendations to allow DTH and VSAT operators to offer broadband services.

"This kind of protest is nothing exceptional," Baijal said when asked about the reports quoting Reliance spokesperson alleging that TRAI had played into the hands of DTH operators like Tatas in policy suggestions.

Reiterating TRAI's commitment to promote competition in the larger interest of consumers, Baijal said, "During the course of regulation, interests of many industrial houses get affected and they protest against regulation.

"It had happened in the WLL issue when cellular company Bharti protested or Tatas' opposition in the case of international private leased circuits (to provide bandwidth)," he added.

A Reliance Infocomm spokesperson was today quoted in news reports as saying that the regulator had played into the hands of DTH operators and had recommended policies, which were totally loaded in favour of DTH and VSAT operators.

"Some of the concessions are even tantamount to encroachment upon the national long distance service providers who had paid huge licence fees. This will definitely disturb the present level playing field," the Reliance spokesperson was quoted.

When contacted, the Reliance Infocomm spokesperson said from Mumbai on phone that the company had not written anything to TRAI and they were not against any technology in broadband operations.

Recognising broadband as the next telecom revolution, TRAI had said last month that prices of high-speed Internet of 256 kbps should be brought down to about Rs 400 per month from the existing Rs 1,600 and suggested entry of DTH and other players for competition in broadband services.