COAI asks e-commerce firms to stop sale of illegal network boosters

NEW DELHI: The Cellular Operators Association of India has written to major e-commerce firms such as Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal asking them to immediately stop sale of mobile signal boosters as it is illegal to sell them without a licence from the government and also as these equipment cause network interference and impact quality of service to end consumers.

In separate letters to the e-commerce platforms dated 12 March, the telcos lobby group has argued that under the Indian Wireless Telegraph Act, 1933, possession and sale of such equipment without a licence from the department of telecommunications (DoT) is a punishable offence.

“Despite clear provisions of law and specific directions from DoT prohibiting possession and sale of such equipment operating in licensed spectrum bands without obtaining requisite permission from DoT, your platform continues to sell such boosters/repeaters,” COAI said in the letters.