TDSAT cases in the Supreme Court: No telling which way the tide will turn

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

As the Department of Telecommunications urges the Supreme Court to consider its plea permitting the levy of a one-time spectrum usage charge with prospective effect, there are many cases with the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) that demand attention.

In this case the DoT has asked the SC to reconsider its appeal against the tribunal's ruling and supporting the telecom companies' argument that one-time spectrum usage charge should be levied prospectively.

As per the telecom department's rules, these levies require a telecom company with over 6.2 MHz of spectrum per circle between July 2008 and December 2012 to pay a one-time