Telecom Lead India: The issue of 19 licenses of
Tata Teleservices (TTSL) has gone one step further, as the department of
telecom (DoT) mulls over seeking law ministry’s take on the matter.
These 19 licenses were granted to TTSL along with the 122
now scrapped licenses.
Earlier, GSM operators’ industry body COAI
asked finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to auction 19 permits that
were granted to Tata Teleservices.
COAI contended that 141 licenses need to be cancelled as
per the Supreme Court’s February 2 order and not 122.
COAI asks FM to scrap mobile permits issued to Tata
Teleservices
COAI and industry body Assocham alleged that TRAI had
excluded the GSM spectrum allotted to TTSL in 2008. Telecom Users Group of
India (TUGI), a Delhi based NGO has also demanded cancellation of 19 licenses
of TTSL.
Now, the department of telecom is acting on demands made
by these bodies and considering the issue of these TTSL 19 licenses to examine
separately from the Presidential Reference.
In its presidential reference, the government has asked
the Supreme Court to clarify on the status of dual technology spectrum granted
by the telecom department in 2007 to cross-over telcos, such as Reliance
Communications and Tata Teleservices.
TTSL shows anger over ASSOCHAM letter seeking cancellation of
its dual-technology status
However, Tata Teleservices has slammed ASSOCHAM and GSM
operators for seeking cancellation of its dual-technology status.
In an official release, Tata Teleservices alleged that
the two letters, to PM and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, “serves the
interests of a handful of powerful members with the industry body”.
AUSPI, a representative body of CDMA players in India,
has supported TTSL, saying demands raised by COAI and Assocham
are misleading.
“The contents of COAI letter are misleading, and
uncalled for and devoid of any merit…we submit that the contents of the
letter are completely devoid of merit and may be rejected by your good self at
the very outset,” said SC Khanna, AUSPI Secretary General.
