In continuation of the Reliance Infratel- Etisalat DB issue, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal has given the latter two weeks time to respond to Reliance?s petition against it.
The tribunal will hear the case next on May 8, 2012. Reliance Infratel had approached TDSAT filing a petition against Etisalat to recover outstanding dues worth Rs 12 billion, for providing its telecom infrastructure to the operator.
It has filed a similar case against S Tel and is looking to recover Rs 700 million from the operator.
Prior to this, Etisalat DB had questioned the jurisdiction of TDSAT in the context of this issue.
The company had stated that the case should rather be taken up by a civil court than TDSAT. Further, the company had submitted that the petition filed by Reliance Infratel was not maintainable as RCOM?s tower arm is not a service provider as per the definition mentioned under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act. And the telecom tribunal cannot exercise its jurisdiction or adjudicate disputes between parties who are not a service provider.
