Mobile phone companies plan to drag the government to court over recent policy decisions related to the upcoming spectrum auctions, possibly delaying the sale process and adding to the uncertainty prevailing in this litigation-prone sector.
The industry body representing GSM telcos such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and Aircel, among others, is 'carefully examining its legal options' regarding as many as five key policy decisions linked to the airwaves sale, said Rajan Mathews, director-general of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). These include 'discrimination' in terms of payment for airwaves secured in the auctions and spectrum usage charge between GSM and CDMA companies, Mathews said.
It is learnt that Idea Cellular plans to approach the courts separately over the government's decision to limit the spectrum sale to a maximum of 13.75 MHz in every region, which raises the possibility of only two mobile phone companies winning back their cancelled permits. The Supreme Court had quashed licences of nine operators in February and directed the government to issue fresh permits through an auction.
Telecom companies, including Vodafone, Idea and Aircel, to drag government to court over spectrum auctions - The Economic Times
The industry body representing GSM telcos such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and Aircel, among others, is 'carefully examining its legal options' regarding as many as five key policy decisions linked to the airwaves sale, said Rajan Mathews, director-general of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). These include 'discrimination' in terms of payment for airwaves secured in the auctions and spectrum usage charge between GSM and CDMA companies, Mathews said.
It is learnt that Idea Cellular plans to approach the courts separately over the government's decision to limit the spectrum sale to a maximum of 13.75 MHz in every region, which raises the possibility of only two mobile phone companies winning back their cancelled permits. The Supreme Court had quashed licences of nine operators in February and directed the government to issue fresh permits through an auction.
Telecom companies, including Vodafone, Idea and Aircel, to drag government to court over spectrum auctions - The Economic Times