The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has rejected service providers? claim that 3G intra circle roaming (ICR) pacts were legal as the government allowed such associations at the time of allocation of spectrum in 2010.
DoT has contended that the information provided to the service providers at the time of the spectrum auction were just guidelines and therefore not binding. Further, according to the department, in case of a conflict between the guidelines issued at the time of the spectrum auction and the rules governing mobile licences, the latter would get supremacy.
DoT has already issued show cause notices to operators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular for entering into ICR agreements for offering 3G services in circles where they do not have 3G spectrum, in violation of the licencing norms.
