DoT, Trai differ over rollout obligation for dual-tech firms

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Gibreel on 2008-05-22 - Tags DoT , TRAI , ADC , dual-technology , telephony , rollout-obligations , UASL

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A difference of opinion has cropped up between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), which has sought additional rollout obligations from dual-technology players.

The telecom regulator has shot off a letter to the licensor, the DoT, in this regard.

This has now become the latest issue on which the two have aired their differences, the others being mobile number portability, 3G spectrum allocation and access deficit charges (ADCs).

The government had earlier permitted CDMA majors Tata Teleservices and Reliance Communications (RCom) to provide GSM services under a dual-technology initiative. They were also allotted spectrum in certain circles.

However, Trai wrote to the DoT that "contingent" rollout obligations should be applicable to dual-technology service providers. The rollout obligations state that the company should cover 10 per cent district headquarters in the first year of operations and 50 per cent within three years.

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Another issue is two different rollout obligations under a single licence. The licences for dual technology were provided under the existing universal access service licence (UASL). This will mean the companies will have one rollout obligation under GSM and another under CDMA in the same circle, they say.