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November 01, 2007 18:26 IST
Bharti Airtel [Get Quote], the country's largest private telecom company, protested on Thursday the new norms for allocating spectrum to GSM mobile operators as it felt the tough standards would destabilize the performing sector.
"Please show us the way," Bharti Group chairman Sunil Mittal said in a letter to Telecom Secretary D S Mathur.
"I am writing this letter to seek your urgent intervention in a matter that is causing extreme anguish to GSM mobile operators. There have been a number of developments in recent months which could once again destabilize this performing, vital infrastructure sector," he said.
GSM operators lobby COAI has already challenged the norms announced by Department of Telecom on October 19, which include allowing dual technology for mobile services and enhanced subscriber-linked criteria for spectrum allocation.
In view of protests by GSM operators, the Centre had asked Telecom Engineering Centre, the technical wing of DoT, to study the norms as suggested by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
TEC went a step ahead of Trai and recommended tougher norms in some circles, increasing the number of subscribers required to become eligible for getting additional spectrum.
The TEC report, which has been accepted by DoT in-principle, would adversely hit GSM players like Airtel, Vodafone-Essar, Idea Cellular [Get Quote] and Aircel.
Meanwhile, the Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India -- the lobby of rival CDMA operators -- has hailed the new norms. It said the decision would ensure that spectrum is allocated transparently and used efficiently.
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