The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has directed Vodafone India to accept its new licences, the details of which are subject to the final verdict on the issue related to 3G intra circle roaming (ICR) pact. Vodafone India had approached TDSAT on the matter of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) not deleting the ?restricted? clauses in the licences.
Earlier, Vodafone India had approached the Delhi High court on this matter and the court subsequently directed the company to approach TDSAT instead. TDSAT has now ruled that the unified licence norms will abide by the final outcome of the company?s petition filed before the tribunal.
TDSAT has further directed Vodafone to submit an undertaking for obtaining the unified license, as it had asked from DoT. The tribunal has also issued a notice to the government, directing it to file a reply by end-December 2014. It has also granted two weeks time to Vodafone to file a rejoinder to DoT’s reply and asked to list the matter on January 14, 2015.
Vodafone has already bought spectrum to continue providing services in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata circles, in the February 2014 auctions, as its current licences for these areas are set to expire on November 29, 2014.
