The Prime Minister’s office (PMO) has asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to decide whether new operators should be permitted to surrender their 2G licences and get a refund of the entry fee. The development comes amidst concerns raised by members of Parliament regarding a proposed exit route to be given to some of the new players who have not yet launched services. DoT had issued licences to new players including S Tel, Uninor, Videocon Telecom, Etisalat DB and Sistema Shyam.
Of these operators, Etisalat DB is yet to launch service while Loop has launched services only in Mumbai. Some of these players have approached the Telecom Ministry seeking to surrender their licences in exchange for a refund of the licence fee.
