DCC may not back Trai penalty on telcos, may go for nominal sum

New Delhi: The Digital Communications Commission is unlikely to back TRAI’s recommendations of a Rs 3,050 crore cumulative penalty on the three telcos — Airtel, Vodafone, Idea — and may make it into a nominal sum, sources said.

Now that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has stuck to its stand on not lowering the amount, the sources said the proposal may be reduced to a very nominal amount to be paid by these telcos just to set the precedent of discipline in the market for where consumer’s quality of service is concerned.

The sources said the DCC had, in principle, has agreed to the penalty but the Trai was also told to review the amount as the sector is probably not in a position to incur further cost on a penalty due to financial conditions. But, as the regulator did not lower the amount, so the decision may be to go in for a nominal sum as the punitive action.