Be party to petition on spectrum: TDSAT to telcos

Virtually bringing the entire industry into the picture, telecom tribunal TDSAT on Monday directed Reliance Communications, HFCL, Shyam Telelinks, BSNL and MTNL to become a party to a petition challenging changes to spectrum allocation norms among others.

The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by Cellular Operators Association of India, a lobby group of GSM operators that has challenged the government's October 19 decision to permit operators to use dual technology (GSM and CDMA) and allow enhanced subscriber-linked criteria for allocation of additional spectrum.

"Let the race start," TDSAT Chairman Justice Arun Kumar said.

COAI represents operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea, while Spice Telecom, which earlier dissociated itself from COAI, was represented separately on Monday.