NEW DELHI : After years of confusion, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal today clarified that the contracted quantum of spectrum under the 2G licences was 6.2 MHz and not 4.4 MHz, and said Aircel Ltd and Dishnet Wireless Ltd will be entitled to the same in eight and three circles, respectively.
Reliance Communications Ltd and Tata Teleservices Ltd will, however, not stand to benefit by the order as the ghost of 2G-spectrum scam still seems to hound them. The tribunal denied these two companies grant of additional 1.8 MHZ spectrum in 18 and 16 circles respectively, in the wake of adverse remarks made by the Supreme Court in its judgements on 2G scam cases.
It was ‘so close yet so far’ for RCom and Tata Teleservices who, despite succeeding on the question whether the licence comes with 6.2 MHz spectrum or 4.4 MHz only, could not get the actual benefit of the verdict.
The Tribunal bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam denied them additional spectrum, saying the Supreme Court judgements in 2G spectrum scam cases had cast doubts on approval to dual technology licences used by the two companies and also ordered lodging of a first information report by the Central Bureau of Investigation on the subject.
