The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has sought Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's immediate intervention to pre-empt an imminent intra-circle roaming pact between state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam and an unnamed telecom operator, Reports PTI.
The COAI hasn't named any operator but hinted that "an imminent commercial intracircle roaming (ICR) agreement between BSNL and a particular operator" may not be constitutional. Big mobile carriers such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular are part of the GSM lobby body, COAI. "We are made to understand that a commercial offer for ICR (intra-circle roaming) is being made (by BSNL) to a particular operator and an agreement may be imminent," COAI said in its letter to Prasad.
In the letter, COAI also suggests BSNL is likely to ink spectrum trading and sharing pacts with other licenced service providers.
So much so, COAI has urged Prasad to ensure "its member operators are also given an equal opportunity to participate in such (ICR and spectrum trading & sharing) arrangements with BSNL so as to conform to the 'equality principle' contained in Article 14 of the Constitution, and also meet the doctrine of level playing field".
PTI |