TRAI orders Etisalat DB and S Tel to reactivate networks

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has ordered operators Etisalat DB and S Tel to reactivate their mobile services within three days, after they shut down their networks in response to a Supreme Court decision to cancel 122 2G licences, reports Business Line.

The regulator said that these firms illegally shut down their networks as they should have continued to deliver the services until the Indian government actually cancels the licences on June 2.

In response operators said the order from the TRAI is illegal as they were already complying with the Supreme Court’s order to cancel 2G licences after they were issued under controversial circumstances in 2008.

The regulator also said the operators failed to give the necessary 60 days’ notice to customers before terminating services.

Several other operators, such as Loop Telecom, have announced they will stop offering their services in India and the TRAI said it would issue similar orders to those companies.