COAI lashes at TRAI, alleges regulator of pushing flawed recommendations

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) as accused the telecom regulator of ''blatantly'' ignoring industry representations on spectrum pricing and auction, and continuing to push its flawed recommendations. This move would further burden the sector.

The telecom operators' body said it is ''shocked and aghast'' at the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) continued indifference towards the industry's plea for consumer interest and unsustainability of this sector.

''This will have serious public interest and public policy impacts and hence would be critically detrimental to the interests of the consumers and the nation and would inadvertently mark the nail in the coffin for the already struggling industry, it said.

Rajan S Mathews, director-general, COAI, termed TRAI's move as a ''definite death knell'' for the sector.

It is also alarming that in spite of the concern expressed by COAI on 'refarming' that would lead to destruction of capital and forced obsolescence of infrastructure, the authority has refused to address the issue and maintained its earlier position.

''One cannot help but observe that the recommendations apparently seem to be resolute towards favouring a few dual technology operators,'' COAI alleged.