Trai refuses to review Rs 3,050 crore fine on telcos like Airtel, Vodafone

With the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) sticking to its gun and refusing to lower the quantum of `3,050-crore penalty it had recommended be levied on incumbent operators, the digital communications commission (DCC) will be meeting on July 16 to take a final call on the matter.

Since Trai does not have powers to levy fines — it can only make a recommendation to this effect — the final call needs to be taken by the DCC (formerly telecom commission), which is the highest decision-making body of the department of telecommunications.

On June 17, the DCC, while approving a Trai proposal for imposing penalty on operators like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea for not providing sufficient points of interconnection to RJio in 2016 when it had commenced operations, had asked the regulator to consider revising the quantum as the sector is under a financial stress.