The Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology has issued a decision and instructions to Qatar Telecom Q.S.C and Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C in response to a complaint by Vodafone Qatar (dated April 12, 2010) against Qtel’s Interconnection Links charges.
As Qtel charges are excessive compared to international benchmark (more than 100 %), ictQATAR directed Vodafone Qatar to cease any further payment to Qtel for the Interconnections links it uses and/or may use until a cost-based price as specified in the Regulatory Accounting System (RAS) is established. The Regulatory Accounting System is slated to be issued in 2013.
The regulated tariff that shall be applicable to the provision of the Qtel’s Interconnection Links, will be retrospective. Qtel’s regulated new tariff for the Interconnection Links will be applied back from the date the dispute started. Historic over-payment that has not been recovered during this period, if any, will be reimbursed by Qtel once the new charges are defined.