Cell firms in Delhi stray out of bounds: DoT

The department of telecom (DoT) has sent notices to private cellular operators in Delhi asking them to explain allegations that they have violated licence requirements by offering mobile services in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

The move comes after Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) complained to the government that private cellular operators, with licences for the Delhi circle, were violating guidelines by extending their area of service up to the Bahadurgarh short-distance charging area (SDCA) in Haryana and Gautam Budh Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh.

DoT has also asked its Wireless Planning and Coordination wing to monitor spectrum usage by cellular operators in Delhi to check whether any violations have taken place in terms of the service area.

In a letter to cellular firms, the department said that if they were offering mobile services beyond the Delhi circle, "why action for violation of the terms and conditions of the licence conditions by providing services outside the prescribed service area should not be initiated".

Cellular operators, on their part, said they had sent their responses to the DoT, in which they had denied any violation.

"We are offering mobile services as per licence norms. We will discuss the matter with DoT to resolve any problems," a Delhi-based cellular operator said.

BSNL officials said the violation by cellular operators was causing revenue loss to the company.

"If Delhi mobile services providers had not provided this illegal coverage, subscribers roaming in adjacent SDCAs would have had to pay STD charges, a part of which would have accrued to BSNL," a government source said.

Last year, cellular operators had sent video footage to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India showing how limited mobility operators were violating their licence conditions by offering services outside the Delhi circle. In retaliation, limited mobility operators had also sent footage of cellular operators offering services beyond the licence area.

A cellular operator said the Delhi licence area had been source of contention ever since a feud had erupted three years ago between Bharti and Escotel over offering services in Gurgaon.

"The issue has been going back and forth. As it is, most cellular operators in Delhi, except Idea Cellular, also have licences for Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. So, where does the question of transgressing licence norms arise?" he said.

Battleground Delhi

• Delhi has seen several rounds of turf wars among mobile service providers because of its unique licensing conditions
• Three years back, Bharti and Escotel had fought over turf in Gurgaon and Ghaziabad
• Last year, Hutch had complained to Trai that Tata Teleservices was violating licence conditions by providing its Delhi WLL subscribers roaming services in Gurgaon and Noida
• Tata Teleservices had, in retaliation, submitted to Trai video footage of Hutch offering services beyond the Delhi licence area