Voda contests DoT on fee for extra spectrum, 3G roaming

“We are open to returning spectrum if 3G roaming pact among the service providers is not allowed,” says telecom major

PTI | November 23, 2011



British telecom firm Vodafone's Indian arm on Monday contested the proposal of one-time charge for extra spectrum held by service providers beyond the contracted limit of 6.2 Mhz, saying this is in violation of the contract.

"...Any suggestion or action on part of DoT or TRAI to charge one-time fee on spectrum (2G) beyond 6.2 Mhz is legally untenable as the consideration has already been paid and is being paid in form of higher spectrum usage charges," T V Ramachandran, Resident Director Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations of Vodafone India, told reporters.

Meanwhile, on the contentious issue of roaming pact among leading service providers to offer 3G mobile services, the company seems to have hardened its stand by stating that they are ready to return the 3G spectrum to the Government and will take back the money if the roaming pact is not allowed.

"Department of Telecom cannot go back on permission for 3G roaming. We are open to returning spectrum if 3G roaming pact among the service providers is not allowed," he said.

"A licensee may enter into mutual commercial agreements for intra service area roaming facilities with other licensed Cellular Mobile Telephone Service Licensees/Unified Access Service Licensees. Further, TRAI can also prescribe tariffs or charges for such facilities within the provisions of TRAI Act, 1997 as amended from time to time," he said quoting the License Amendment of June 12, 2008.

However, the company continued to be bullish about business in India and hoped that there would be regulatory clarity on all issues.

"In terms of business in India we are very bullish on the market and we are also hopeful that regulatory clarity on some of the issues will be there by the department," Vodafone India Strategy Director Samaresh Parida said.

Comments

 

Other News

The 7% growth problem: Why the next 7% will be harder

India has become accustomed to hearing the 7% growth number. It is now less a milestone than an expectation. Yet the paradox is becoming clearer: maintaining 7% growth may be considerably harder than achieving it once. India’s real GDP grew 7.7% in FY2025–26, following growth of 6.5% in FY202

The Constitution cannot be altered: Justice Abhay Oka

Justice Abhay Oka, who retired from the Supreme Court in May 2025, has said that the Constitution of India cannot be altered. Explaining the landmark Kesavananda Bharati judgment (1973) on the basic structure of the Constitution, he said, “This is one judgment that has saved democracy in India.&rdq

How the flora and fauna evolved in the Indian subcontinent

Mammals of India  By A.J.T. Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer HarperCollins India in association with Bombay Natural History Society  

India`s renewable race is moving beyond megawatts

When Shell bought Sprng Energy in 2022, India`s renewable energy market appeared to offer precisely what global energy majors were seeking: scale, growth and a place in one of the world`s largest energy transitions. Four years later, Shell is selling the same business to Aditya Birla Group for an enterpris

Nepal Floods: India keeps close watch on the situation

India`s central government has been keeping a close watch on the situation arising out of the flash flood in Nepal on Wednesday. Union home minister Amit Shah spoke with the chief ministers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the two states that share the border with Nepal, regarding the disaster

UPI completes 10 years of digital payments revolution

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched on August 25, 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) under the regulatory oversight of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has completed 10 years of transforming digital payments in India. UPI has emerged as the backbone of India’s digi

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter