Telecom firms urge TRAI to defer call drop compliance deadline

Telecom service providers have requested the sector regulator not to enforce its order on call drops compensation from Monday, as the matter will be heard by the apex court on March 10.

In a joint letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday, the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) and Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI) said: "Please note that the Supreme Court has directed the matters to be listed on March 10, 2016 for final disposal.

"In view of the above and since the aforesaid matters are sub-judice before the Court, we request you to keep your letter dated March 2, 2016 in abeyance," it added.

The TRAI had given time till March 7 to the telecom service providers to submit a compliance report regarding compensating customers for call drops.

The Supreme Court on March 4 refused to pass any interim order on compensations for call drop as it will hold a hearing on March 10 on a plea by the associations of telecom operators challenging the regulator's decision.

The COAI and the AUSPI had earlier challenged the TRAI's October 16, 2015 decision making it mandatory for telecom companies to compensate subscribers from January 1, 2016.