The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal clears 3G intra-circle roaming pacts

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has cleared the 3G intra-circle roaming agreements (ICR) signed between Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular.

According to TDSAT, the ICR pacts inked by the three operators were not in violation of licensing terms.

Earlier, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had termed ICR pacts signed by these operators as illegal and in violation of the licensing terms. The department had, therefore, imposed penalties of Rs 3.5 billion on Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India (Rs 5.5 billion) and Idea Cellular (Rs 3 billion), respectively, for offering 3G services to subscribers through ICR pacts in circles where they did not hold 3G spectrum.

However, following the approval of ICR pacts, the tribunal has also quashed the penalties imposed on the three operators.