TDSAT

The Supreme Court on Friday held the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), which regulates the aeronautical charges, can file an appeal against the orders of Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the appeals filed by AERA against a TDSAT order, which held that the authority cannot impose tariffs on ground and cargo handling services, were maintainable. AERA, the top court said, has a statutory duty to regulate tariff upon a consideration of multiple factors to ensure that airports were run in an economically viable manner without compromising on the interests of the public. "When AERA determines the tariff for aeronautical services in terms of Section 13(1)(a) of the AERA Act, it is acting as a regulator and an interested party. It is interested not in a personal capacity. Its interest lies in ensuring that the concerns of public interest.

Tata Communications has challenged Telecom Department's Rs 991.5 crore licence fee demand pertaining to past years, in TDSAT, which has directed the DoT not to take any coercive action till the next hearing, the company said in a filing on Friday. The Department of Telecom (DoT) in its demand letter dated August 8, 2023, has raised certain license-fee demands of Rs 991.54 crore pertaining to FY 2006-07 (international long-distance and internet service provider) and FY 2007-08 (NLD, ILD and ISP). "These demands have been challenged by the company before...TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal), wherein after hearing both the parties, ...TDSAT, vide its order dated 14 August 2023 received by the company on 17 August 2023, has directed DoT not to take any coercive action till the next hearing," Tata Communications said in a BSE filing. The company further said it has already included the amount in dispute as part of the notes to accounts in the quarterly financial .

TRAI has argued that broadcasters are supplying signals of linear channels to OTT platforms circumventing Clause 5.6 of the Uplinking and Downlinking guidelines for television channels

The order asked Reliance Jio to pay Rs 147 crore to Tata Telecom as cable landing station usage charges

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) also said that an exemption can be given to the PSUs only if the same is extended to private sector players

Telecom tribunal TDSAT on Tuesday asked the Department of Telecom to put on hold the encashment of bank guarantees in the penalty case of Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea till the next date of hearing.

Experts feel that a favourable ruling by the SC for telecom firms in the matter of one-time spectrum usage charge with prospective effect would help them reduce their liabilities

Users and service providers are swimming against the tide even after the abolition of retro tax

On July 16, based on Jio's complaint TRAI had said that the premium tariff plans for post paid customers were discriminatory in nature.

They said the subscribers of the plans constitute only a small portion of overall customer base

Says Trai move to freeze schemes without reason, merit

SC also expressed displeasure over the delay in appointments in tribunals in the country

Trai can proceed with the inquiry and pass final orders in accordance with law at the earliest, says TDSAT

Verdict on plans expected today

TDSAT to hear Vodafone appeal, Jio's application on Thursday

TRAI has been asked to file its reply by Wednesday

The TDSAT is expected to hear the Vodafone Idea case on Tuesday.

Following SC ruling that non-telecom revenues should be included for considering payments of government dues, the telecom department has asked OIL to pay Rs 48,000 crore

Oil India Ltd (OIL) is the second oil and gas firm after GAIL India to have been slapped a demand notice. From gas utility GAIL, the DoT has sought Rs 1.72 trillion.

TDSAT had asked government to return Rs 104 crore to now-bankrupt company after encashing bank guarantee of Rs 908 crore against spectrum charges of Rs 774 crore.