The Hindu Business Line : We want to be treated on par with PSUs: Sunil Mittal

New Delhi, Nov. 9 Bharti Airtel’s Chairman and Managing Director Mr Sunil Mittal has said that his company is not blocking competition and is in fact “willing to face any competition, including from some very powerful competitors and many times with our hands tied behind our back.”

In a letter to the Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, the Bharti honcho said that he was delighted that BSNL and MTNL have been given more spectrum but has only demanded that the private operators should also be given additional spectrum to level the playing field.

Spectrum allocation

Mr Mittal’s letter is in response to a communication from Mr Ramesh who slammed Airtel’s chief for castigating BSNL.

Mr Mittal had earlier shot off a letter to the Government alleging that the Department of Telecom’s spectrum allocation policy was favouring some companies.

He had said that BSNL and MTNL were being given more spectrum even without meeting the subscriber linked criteria thereby being an example of being inefficient.

Responding to Mr Mittal’s first letter, Mr Ramesh said: “Public service enterprises have to face many constraints in their operations not the least being aggressive lobby by the competitors to stymie their expansion. I was anguished at your comments on BSNL and MTNL. I am well aware that there are differing opinions on the best way of allocating spectrum. You have a point of view which you have expressed forcefully. But what pained me is the manner in which you have castigated BSNL particularly.”

Castigating TEC report

However in a fresh letter, Mr Mittal said, “My letter does not castigate BSNL nor MTNL.

The letter castigates the finding of the TEC which has come out with spectrum allocation criteria unheard of anywhere in the world. Incidentally, let me clarify that we are delighted that BSNL and MTNL have been given more spectrum as we support the same, but only demand that to be the same for the private sector and thereby level playing field.”

“I have to agree that public sector face many constraints in their operations and are not free to run efficient operations. I am with you on this point.

“I, however, resent your charge that we are lobbying to block competition. You know me better. I hope my response, and the enclosed letter, re-establishes my credibility in your eyes,” Mr Mittal said in the letter.

More Stories on : Telecommunications | Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
We want to be treated on par with PSUs: Sunil Mittal

Access deficit charge: TRAI may issue show cause notice

Prestige group buys Balaji property in Chennai

BridgeOne brings in Aigo’s digital products

Mobiles, MP3 players top online Diwali sales

Infrastructure management key to large outsourcing deals: TCS

‘Our software-defined radios help revolutionise rural areas’