Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • Nepal protests
  • Nepal Protests Live
  • Vice-presidential elections
  • iPhone 17
  • IND vs PAK cricket
  • Israel-Hamas war
fp-logo
Split verdict on 3G roaming pact gives Bharti, Idea a boost
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • Business
  • Split verdict on 3G roaming pact gives Bharti, Idea a boost

Split verdict on 3G roaming pact gives Bharti, Idea a boost

FP Archives • December 20, 2014, 09:54:58 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

The split verdict came on a petition filed by mobile phone companies challenging a government order asking them to stop offering 3G services beyond their licensed circles or zones through mutual roaming agreements.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
Split verdict on 3G roaming pact gives Bharti, Idea a boost

Telecom tribunal TDSAT on Tuesday gave a split verdict on validity of mobile phone operators offering 3G services beyond their licence areas through roaming pacts with its chairman concurring with such a practice, while the other member on the bench differed with him.

The split verdict came on a petition filed by mobile phone companies challenging a government order asking them to stop offering 3G services beyond their licensed circles or zones through mutual roaming agreements. No single company got a pan-India licence, so these pacts were designed to provide seamless connectivity to consumers as well as utilize spectrum that was not being used.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

According to DoT, telecom service providers cannot offer 3G service in those circles where the company does not have licence. However, the telecom companies argue that the 3G roaming agreement between the country’s leading operators is both as per existing license conditions and prior explicit written clarifications received from DoT, before the auction.

More from Business
Hyundai India’s Rs 27,870 crore IPO oversubscribed by 2.28X, largely driven by institutional investors Hyundai India’s Rs 27,870 crore IPO oversubscribed by 2.28X, largely driven by institutional investors How Indian fintech startups are driving Malaysia’s UPI-like digital payments revolution How Indian fintech startups are driving Malaysia’s UPI-like digital payments revolution

[caption id=“attachment_365340” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Reuters”] ![](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Phone_Man_Reuters.jpg "A man speaks on his mobile phone as he waits to cross a street in Mumbai") [/caption]

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, today said both sides can appeal at a higher court, according to one lawyer on the case after one judge voted in favour of the government and the other in favour of the mobile phone operators.

The tribunal’s decision was keenly watched by investors in Bharti Airtel , Vodafone’s Indian unit and Idea Cellular - the country’s top three carriers by revenue - which have managed to offer 3G services in most parts of the country because of the pacts. Shares in Bharti rose more than 3 percent while Idea gained over 4 percent.

In a 2010 government auction, Bharti won 3G bandwidth in 13 of the country’s 22 service areas, while Idea gained access to 11 and the Vodafone unit nine.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts
Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

As Trump weaponises tariff, Fed sees a bigger worry: Not jobs, but rising prices in America

As Trump weaponises tariff, Fed sees a bigger worry: Not jobs, but rising prices in America

The telecoms ministry told carriers last December that it was illegal to offer 3G services beyond their allotted zones by mutually agreeing to share their airwaves.

In the same month, the three operators and smaller rivals Tata Teleservices and Aircel challenged the government order before the TDSAT.

Bharti, Vodafone and Idea previously said their roaming pacts complied with telecom licensing rules.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Officials from the telecom ministry were not immediately available for comment.

The two-member bench comprising TDSAT Chairman Justice S B Sinha and Member PK Rastogi differed in theirs findings.

While one member of the tribunal has said roaming pacts between telcos like Airtel, Vodafone and Idea to offer 3G roaming within a single telecom circle are illegal and should be terminated immediately, the tribunal’s chairman Justice S.B. Sinha has ruled that fresh notices should be sent out to the telecom operators by the department of telecommunication, giving them time to respond.

Till there are further directions from the department of telecommunications, or DoT, existing roaming services offered by the telecom operators will not be switched off immediately.

Justice Sinha allowed the telecom operators’ plea against the government’s directive to stop intra circle 3G roaming saying that it was violative of natural justice. But Rastogi dismissed telecom operators plea saying they cannot provide roaming.

The operators would now appeal in higher courts.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

The Chairman was of view that DoT (Department of Telecom) had not followed the proper procedure and operators were not given proper time to put their views.

According to Justice Sinha it was a violation of natural justice. Setting aside the DoT’s order to operators to stop ICR (intra-circle roaming), he asked DoT to start the procedure afresh by giving proper time to operators to respond.

Meanwhile, Rastogi dismissed the appeal of telecom operators saying that they can’t provide 3G services by having mere 2G license.

TDSAT has a sanctioned strength of three people including the Chairman. However, due to retirement of its technical member the tribunal now has two people, which led to the split verdict.

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) had concluded its marathon hearing on the plea in April.

Agencies

Tags
3G PolicyWatch Roaming TDSAT Mobile phone companies
End of Article
Written by FP Archives

see more

Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Impact Shorts

Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

The Tata Harrier EV and Mahindra XEV 9e are new electric SUVs in India. The Harrier EV has a modern, familiar design, while the XEV 9e features a bold, striking look. They cater to different preferences: the Harrier EV for subtle elegance and the XEV 9e for expressive ruggedness.

More Impact Shorts

Top Stories

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV