3G Roaming Illegal, Says DoT To TDSAT | TechTree.com

3G Roaming Illegal, Says DoT To TDSAT

Claims roaming pact between operators violates its agreement.

 

As 3G services limp towards attaining the promised browsing bliss for smartphone and tablet users in India, service providers seem to have suffered another setback. The latest assault involves an affidavit filed by the government at the TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal) against telecom operators on the issue of 3G roaming. The administration has alleged that "service providers have not come with clean hands and have suppressed material documents".

The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) has claimed that operators cannot offer services outside their allotted spectrum, thereby making 3G roaming a violation of the signed clauses in the 3G licence pact. DOT has further alleged that operators entered into a spectrum-sharing agreement to offer 3G services through inter-circle roaming with an intention to avoid paying the government a spectrum usage charge or licence fees. It had issued a warning to companies such as Bharti, Vodafone, Idea, Aircel, and Tata on 23rd December, stating that their 3G roaming pacts were violating the agreement. The telecom watchdog additionally demanded that the providers stop 3G roaming "immediately within 24 hours". However, that decision was quickly reversed.

The affidavit further states, "...inspite of the directions by this Tribunal vide order dated December 24, 2011, the petitioners (operators) have not submitted the intra-circle roaming agreements entered into with various telecom service providers. The present petition is liable to be dismissed on this ground alone". We need to wait and watch how this new development will affect users.


TAGS: Telecom, Government, Kamakshi

 
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