RTL breaks rank with GSM lobby

Reliance Telecom Ltd (RTL) has dissociated itself from the GSM lobby's stance on spectrum, stating there is no merit in the demand for additional spectrum.

In a letter to the department of telecommunications (DoT), RTL has said that if the licensor issues 10 MHz spectrum to each operator and enforces the use of more efficient technology, there will be no scarcity of spectrum.

This would also enable the country to achieve 80 per cent teledensity, it said.

The Anil Ambani-promoted company said it did not agree with the GSM body, the Cellular Operators' Association of India's (COAI's) recent legal notice to the DoT.

The company had earlier stated its stance to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), and the letter, apart from conveying its objection, did not mention the reasons.

COAI sent a legal notice to the DoT on Wednesday seeking release of the requisite spectrum for the companies that were provided the letters of intent.

A COAI official said RTL was not a part of the GSM lobby that had sent the notice.