High Court rejects DoT’s request to stay TDSAT’s order barring it from terminating roaming deals

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In continuation of the 3G roaming agreements issue, the Delhi High Court rejected the Department of Telecommunications? (DoT) request to stay the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal?s order (TDSAT) pertaining to this issue, say news reports. 

Prior to this, TDSAT had barred DoT from terminating such agreements signed between various operators. DoT had then approached the Delhi High Court stating that TDSAT had no jurisdiction to take a call on the issue.

Meanwhile, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been made a party to the case by TDSAT on grounds of its business being impacted by the 3G pacts.

In its application to TDSAT, BSNL had said that the operators under scrutiny acquired 3G subscribers by inking “illegal” inter/intra-circle roaming agreements without having the required spectrum in certain circles.

BSNL also said that these operators were providing 3G services by “misrepresenting” to the public the “strength of the arrangements or agreements” entered by them.