Seeking Supreme Court''s intervention to declare dual-technology licences granted to the telcos as mala fide, the COAI has challenged the sectoral  tribunal TDSAT's verdict upholding the Centre's decision to allocate GSM spectrum to CDMA operators in the Supreme Court.

COAI, an industry an industry body representing leading GSM operators sough the apex court’s intervention in the backdrop of its February 2 order revoking all the 122 spectrum licences allotted to eight new operators saying that  GSM  spectrum allotted to Reliance, Shyam and HFCL for their CDMA technology should also be quashed.

"The apex court decision pertains to both issue of new UASL as well as in principle approval for dual spectrum which establishes that the decision of dual spectrum was part and parcel of the very same decision making process which has been found to be illegal by this Hon'ble Court," the plea said.   

COAI asked the Supreme Court to 'quash and set aside' the government's decision of 'allotting GSM spectrum to CDMA licencees'. 

The COAI argued that the decision to allot GSM spectrum to CDMA players was the part of the same process by which new Unified Access Service Licenses (UASL) were alloted with the apex court later cancelling the grant of licenses.  

It said that the government's decision to grant dual-technology licences was illegal since it fell between September 2007 and March 2008, the same time other mobile permits were given that were quashed by the apex court in its February 2 verdict.

The COAI represents  private telecom telcos including Bharti Airtel Ltd, Vodafone Essar, Idea Cellular, Etisalat DB  Telecom India Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile (India) Ltd, S-Tel Ltd, Unitech Wireless Pvt Ltd & Associated companies, Videocon Telecommunications Ltd and Aircel Ltd,