Reliance Communications moves TDSAT seeking directions for migration of the telecom licenses

Bankrupt telco Reliance Communications has moved the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) seeking directions from the tribunal for migration of the telecom licenses. The company in a regulatory filing with the BSE stated that the guidelines of the grant of Unified License dated March 28, 2016, issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) do not prescribe any pre-condition for any payment to be made prior to the migration of the telecom licenses.

Reliance Communications now has simultaneous petitions pending before TDSAT and NCLT regarding the migration of telecom licenses. TDSAT on August 12, 2021, as an ad interim protection directed the parties to maintain the status quo until the next date of hearing i.e August 16, 2021.

“Simultaneously, a petition has been filed before the TDSAT seeking directions for migration of the telecom licenses, in view of the Guidelines for Grant of Unified License dated March 28, 2016 issued by the DOT, not prescribing pre-condition for any payment to be made prior to the migration of the telecom licenses. On August 12, 2021, the TDSAT has, as an ad interim protection, directed the parties to maintain status quo until the next date of hearing, i.e, (August 16, 2021). The matters are currently sub judice before the NCLT and the TDSAT.“

Reliance Communications

Reliance Communications had initially applied with the DoT migration of various telecom licenses (UASL, NLD, and ILD licenses) to the unified license regime (UL) on October 25, 2020 (17 of which were supposed to expire on July 19, 2021). DoT on 15th June 2021 issued a letter to RCOM requiring payments of various categories of certain amounts such as 10% of AGR dues, deferred spectrum installments against the telecom licenses as a pre-condition for processing of the migration applications.