DoT refuses to consider SC verdict in deciding telco cartelisation fine

NEW DELHI: The telecom department has rejected Bharti Airtel’s demand to take note of court observations while deciding whether the regulator can recommend that three operators should be fined for allegedly colluding and denying Reliance Jio Infocomm adequate access to their networks.

The Digital Communications Commission, an inter-ministerial panel that is the top decision making body in the Department of Telecommunications, had sought the views of a DoT committee on the court rulings, which scrapped a probe into the allegations of cartelisation.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), acting on a petition by Jio, had ordered the probe after it found a prima facie case of cartelisation by Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Idea Cellular. The latter later merged into Vodafone Idea.