India’s telecoms department has reportedly decided that 3G roaming agreements, which allow operators to provide services even in circles where they do not have 3G spectrum, are illegal.
Telecom Secretary R. Chandrashekhar was quoted in local…
India’s telecoms department has reportedly decided that 3G roaming agreements, which allow operators to provide services even in circles where they do not have 3G spectrum, are illegal.
Telecom Secretary R. Chandrashekhar was quoted in local newspapers saying that the decision is currently being conveyed to the concerned operators. But no decision has reportedly been made regarding show-cause notices or potential penalties.
In early November, the CEOs of Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Tata Teleservices and Vodafone India asked telecom minister Kapil Sibal to clarify uncertainties regarding 3G intra circle roaming.
In a letter to the minister the CEOs strongly criticised suggestions that they are acting as MVNO’s, “given that we have full-fledged UASLs [Unified Access Service Licences] in all concerned service areas”.
Similarly, terming 3G ICR [intra circle roaming] as spectrum sharing when spectrum is owned and managed only by the roaming provider is outrageous,” they said.
The CEOs said that companies that bid for 3G frequencies in 2010 should either be refunded or that a new auction should be held, if the pacts were found to be unlawful.
Local media suggested at the time that the companies could face fines of up to Rs500m (US$10m) for every circle where they have entered into roaming agreements, were they proved illegal.