We're in the queue, telcos tell DoT

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Idea Cellular and Spice Telecommunications have shot off separate letters to the Department of Telecom (DoT) for early issuance of licenses for the remaining circles. 

Both the private telecom operators, in their letters sent on Thursday to D.S. Mathur, secretary, DoT, have sought clearance of their licenses for the remaining circles. 

Idea Cellular in its letter has requested DoT to immediately issue the Letters of Intent (LoI) for the remaining nine circles.

“We have submitted to the DoT, on 26th June 2006, duly completed applications for the nine service areas, compliant in every respect. The UASL guidelines of December 14 2005 require applications to be decided, as far as practicable, within 30 days of the submission of application. In this case DoT was required to issue LoIs by July 25 2006. It has been more than 500 days from the date of applications. Meanwhile we have sent eight letters of reminder, apart from seven personal meetings,” Idea said in a statement. 

Spice Telecommunications have also written a similar letter seeking pending UASL applications for 20 circles. The letters caution the DoT to “take a note that no GSM LoIs or initial spectrum allocation pertaining to applications subsequent to the application of these operators for these circles be entertained before clearing them with the initial spectrum.” 

The GSM operators are vexed over the government’s decision to issue pan-India GSM license to a major CDMA operator. The GSM lobby on Thursday decided to move the Delhi High Court challenging the TDSAT interim order on allocation of start up spectrum for new licenses. 

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