Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTL) has written to the Department of Telecom to release start up spectrum for its GSM services in 39 districts across the country.

The company, which had got 2G licences in 2008, had not got start up spectrum of 4.4Mhz in Delhi and 39 other districts.

Recently, the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) upheld an appeal by the company and ordered DoT to allocate GSM spectrum to Tata Teleservices in Delhi. Buoyed by the TDSAT order, Tata Teleservices has written to the DoT claiming spectrum in other regions as well.

“TDSAT has allowed TTL petition thereby making TTL entitled for immediate allocation of GSM spectrum in Delhi and in 39 districts in 9 circles,” the operator said in a letter to DoT.

DoT had put TTL's application under the new operator's category. This category was behind the existing operator's category in terms of spectrum allocation. TDSAT upheld TTL's argument that it was an existing operator and, therefore, entitled to spectrum along with other dual technology players.

TTL has told the DoT to release 4.4 Mhz spectrum wherever available. “In case 4.4 Mhz of GSM spectrum is not available in some districts, we request you to allocate for the time being whatever spectrum is available in those districts and allocate balance as and when it becomes available,” the TTL letter stated.

The company has sought spectrum in 4 districts in Uttar Pradesh (west) including Agra, Bareilly, and Nainital; 6 districts in Himachal Pradesh, two in Haryana, 3 each in Gujarat and West Bengal, 11 in Rajasthan, 2 in Punjab, 5 in Bihar and 3 in Uttar Pradesh (East). DoT does not have any spectrum to give in Bihar and UP (East) and less than 4.4 Mhz in West Bengal, Rajasthan and Punjab.

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