Telecom operators approach TDSAT to review its penalty order for misreporting subscriber details

Vodafone Spacetel (a subsidiary of Vodafone), Reliance Telecom, Bharti Airtel, Bharti Hexacom and Idea Cellular have requested Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to review its order directing them to pay penalty for misreporting user details of post-paid customers in the Assam and the North-East circles.

Earlier DoT had imposed a penalty on the telecom operators for not completing the process of re-verifying the subscriber details of their prepaid customers in Assam and the North East. Subsequently, the mobile operators challenged DoT?s order before TDSAT. However, TDSAT in its order on February 28, 2012, directed the mobile operators to pay 25 per cent of the penalty for connections activated by them between July 20, 2010, and March 31, 2011 on the basis of photo identity issued by Village Panchayats and Caste and Domicile certificate by the state governments.