Aircel will pay Vodafone 5 paise per SMS as termination fee, while Vodafone will immediately restore its interconnection of SMSes generated on Aircel's network till the dispute is resolved, according to the telecom disputes tribunal's order.

Passing an interim order on Friday, the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) said if two operators disconnect each other's SMS services then the consumers would suffer.

Vodafone has been demanding Aircel to pay 10 paise per SMS as termination fee, while Aircel has been arguing that hike in SMS termination charge from 0 paisa to 10 paise is unjustified.

An operator on whose network calls/SMSes originate pay termination charges to the one on whose network these calls/SMSes end.

Passing the order, a single-member bench of PK Rastogi said, "There is a need to examine whether the rates of termination charges demanded by the respondent (Vodafone) are in accordance with the regulation..."

In October, Vodafone had asked Aircel to pay Rs 40 crore as SMS termination fee for the period ranging from April 2011 to September 2012.

Final hearing on the matter has been scheduled for January 10, 2013.