After the verification, the Department of Telecom (DoT) said that "Bharti met the eligibility criteria and hence (is) eligible for 7.2 MHz GSM spectrum in the entire service area (Orissa)".
The move to hold back allocating additional spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz despite an operator having a specified number of subscribers is bound to impact the expansion and quality of mobile services in a particular area.
However, in the light of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal judgment, the DoT has decided to seek legal opinion before allocating additional spectrum to any GSM operator.
Bharti had demanded additional spectrum based on the criteria announced by the DoT in January last year.
The TDSAT had asked the DoT to work out the criteria again taking into account the recommendations of both telecom regulator TRAI and Telecom Engineering Consultants (TEC) in a month.
