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News Desk

The Statesman

Publication Date : 15-01-2013

The Indian Supreme Court yesterday allowed existing telecom operators of 2G spectrum, whose licences were cancelled by its order, to continue their services till Feb 4, 2013.

The SC asked the central government to spell out the price to be charged for continuing with their services. 

A Bench of Justices G S Singhvi and K S Radhakrishnan passed the order on a department of telecommunications (DoT) application seeking that the existing licence holders be allowed to continue operations till the auction scheduled for March 2013 was completed. 

The court also asked the DoT to indicate the reserve price that it would fix for the auction scheduled to be held in March.

The court, while adjourning the hearing till February 4, asked the DoT to give the names of the successful bidder companies in the auction held on November 12 and 14 last year. 

“We want to know what the price is. Just put it in a sealed envelope what is the amount to be paid (by the existing operators of 2G) after our order of Feb 2, 2012,” the Bench said while posting the matter for hearing to February 4. 

 “The existing operators are allowed to continue operations till the next date of hearing,” the Bench further said. 

However, the apex court, in the course of hearing, made it clear that all those telecom service providers who had not participated in the auction of the cancelled licences would not be allowed to continue and take advantage of the situation.

The Bench asked DoT’s counsel and senior advocate P P Rao to collect information about the telecom companies which emerged as successful bidders in the first round of auction.

What is going to be the proposed reserve or base price for the second round of auction is to be held on  March 11.