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Unified telecom licence on anvil

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI NOV. 11. The Government today paved the way for the merger of telecom licences but stopped short of recommending an end to licence raj as suggested by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The decisive speed at which the Government issued the guidelines — within a fortnight of receiving the TRAI's recommendations — is aimed at ending the phone wars and removing uncertainty among limited mobility (WLL-M) subscribers.

However, a case filed by cellular companies before the Supreme Court challenging the very existence of WLL (M) services continues to cast a shadow on the whole issue.

The Government justified the unified licensing system citing steep cuts in tariffs, advances in technologies erasing distinctions imposed by earlier licensing systems, public interest in general and consumer interest in particular and for the proper conduct of telegraphs and telecommunication services.

As a first step, basic and cellular services will be unified within the service area. The next step will be merger of all telecom services including long distance and international long distance.

The Government has also specified the additional amounts to be paid by WLL (M) companies to graduate to providing cellular services. However, companies have the option to remain as cellular or WLL (M) service providers.

Those WLL (M) companies, which do not wish to migrate to the full mobility regime, would only be required to pay the additional fee with mobility confined strictly within Short Distance Charging Area.

Reliance has been asked to pay penalty for providing cellular-like services despite possessing licences for providing only limited mobility services.

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