Vodafone India seeks license extension in six circles

NEW DELHI: Vodafone India sought the extension of licences in six circles due to expire in December 2015 in a petition filed in the Supreme Court on Friday, following a similar one filed in February that’s still pending.

The India arm of the world’s third-largest telecom company has also asked the country’s top court to restrain the department of telecommunications ( DoT) from auctioning airwaves in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (east) and Rajasthan in the interim.

The Supreme Court will next hear the case on December 18 and in the meantime has asked DoT to respond. Vodafone India did not comment as the matter is sub-judice.

The petition, filed through lawyer R Chandrachud, came up for hearing before a two-judge bench comprising justices Anil Dave and Kurian Joseph that did not pass any interim order. Senior lawyer KK Venugopal argued for Vodafone.

A person at Vodafone aware of the developments said that under clause 4.1 of the licence agreement, the company held the permits for more than 20 years and is entitled to continue with these contracts in the circles in which it operates.

“It is our contractual right. The initial spectrum allotted was for 20 years, but it was to be extended by another 10 years. The government is however chary of handing it out now without auction,” he said.