COAI to FM: Quash TTSL's GSM spectrum

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the industry body representing GSM operators, on Monday asked finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to to quash the GSM spectrum allocated to Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) and include it in the upcoming spectrum auction.

Citing the February 2 Supreme Court order, which cancelled licences issued between September 2007 and March 2008, COAI said the spectrum allocated to TTSL should also be included in the upcoming auction.

TTSL reacted strongly to the letter, saying it was “misleading, totally uncalled for, false and devoid of any merit.” TTSL holds both CDMA and GSM licences under the dual technology policy.

In a statement, the company said COAI’s earlier demands on dual-tech spectrum have been rejected by the Delhi High Court and debunked by the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal as well. “COAI writing a letter on a matter pending adjudication before the Supreme Court is an unabashed attempt to interfere in judicial process and tantamount to pre-empting the court from discharging its duties—especially so as the substance and content of the letter to Finance Minister are similar to the application which COAI had filed before Supreme Court, which is slated to come up for hearing on 31 July 2012,” TTSL said.