Idea to receive notices, faces Rs 300-crore fine

23 Feb 2011 Evaluate

The department of telecommunications will serve notices to Idea Cellular on the termination of licences for violation of cross-holding norms in six circles, following the merger with Spice Communications in October 2008. Idea will also be fined around Rs 300 crore for similar violations in other circles. To be terminated are four new licences of Spice and two new licences of Idea, where neither company has launched mobile services. In circles where services have been launched, a penalty will be imposed.

The decision is in line with suggestions made by the additional solicitor general, after its opinion was sought by DoT on the Idea-Spice deal. The ASG stated that Idea had violated DoT norms by holding over 10 per cent stake in two mobile firms in the same circle and recommended cancelling the overlapping licences.

However, Idea denied any violation of norms. At the time of acquisition, Spice Communications had licenses for the Punjab, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Maharashtra circles, but offered services only in two circles: Punjab and Karnataka. Idea had merged the Punjab and Karnataka circles with itself, as it was not offering mobile services in these circles. However, it did not use its own licenses and spectrum for these circles.

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