TDSAT gives DoT more time to reply to Qualcomm’s plea
Telecom tribunal TDSAT has given 10 more days of time to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to file a reply on the petition filed by the U.S.-based chipmaker Qualcomm, against the move to reduce tenure of wireless broadband spectrum allotted to it and its roll out obligations.
The DoT had asked the court to give some more time to submit its reply. In spite of Qualcomm’s objections, the TDSAT accepted the DoT”s plea and has given some more time. The telecom tribunal also granted one week time to Qualcomm to submit rejoinder over DoT’s reply. The tribunal will hold next hearing on the issue on August 3.
Earlier, the DoT had allocated 4G licence to Qualcomm but cut the validity by 18 months, blaming the chipmaker for the delay in allocation. Qualcomm’s roll-out obligation time was also reduced from five years to three and a half years.
Qualcomm, however, rejected the notion that it was responsible for the delay and that it was the ministry’s objection to its application that led to the delay.
The U.S. chipmaker had won spectrum for high-speed data services in four circles — Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Kerala — through auction in June 2010, and paid $ 1 billion for the same. Telecom giant Bharti Airtel has now taken over 49 per cent stake in Qualcomm Asia Pacific’s Indian BWA entities.
Source: Economic Times
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