DoT asks Reliance Info to stop roaming, multiple registration

New Delhi: The Department of Telecom (DoT) has issued a notice to Reliance Infocomm asking it to discontinue offering roaming-like services on its WLL mobile phones within 30 days.

The notice mentions three features of services, including the use of the same handset in areas other than where it is registered, the facility of *444* (a dialling facility that provides connection to the Reliance network in other areas) and the multiple registration scheme and the temporary subscriber service using same handset, official sources were quoted as saying.

Since final guidelines are yet to be announced by DoT on a unified licence, under which Reliance will have an option to migrate to the new regime to offer both basic and mobile services, Reliance may face problems after the 30-day period in the absence of the guidelines.

Though DoT has accepted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's recommendations, as approved by the group of ministers on telecom and then the cabinet, the final set of guidelines has to be announced by the department only.

Usage of the above-mentioned three services was the main reason that was opposed to by the cellular lobby and the fight between basic and cellular operators went on for more than two years both in TDSAT and the Supreme Court.