Never allowed 3G spectrum subleasing: DoT

DoT has served a show-cause notice on the company for 'violating' roaming norms

The department of telecommunications (DoT) has never said companies could piggyback on their competitors for 3G services in areas where they did not have spectrum, it said in a recent note. DoT was responding to Vodafone’s reply to a show-cause notice on intra-circle 3G roaming it had sent the company on May 31.

The country’s second largest operator by subscribers had on July 2 written to DoT, seeking an explanation for the notice that sought to penalise it for alleged violation of licence norms. Apart from Vodafone, Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular had also got such a notice. DoT has said it had not allowed companies to sublease 3G spectrum.

It has asked Vodafone to explain its position within 60 days from the date of issue of the notice, that is, May 31. Vodafone had argued intra-circle roaming was allowed in clarifications given by DoT before the 3G auctions and the position taken after it had invested about Rs 12,000 crore for 3G spectrum in nine service areas was “contradictory”.