The department of telecommunications has sent notice to the leading telecom operator Bhrati Airtel asking it stop 3G roaming services outside its licensed zones. Vodafone and Idea will also get the similar notices soon. 
 
Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea had won licenses for 13, 9 and 11 circles, respectively in 2010. These three GSM operators then entered into agreement with each other for offering 3G services by using each other's airwaves.

The government in December 2011 had declared 3G roaming pacts these pacts as 'illegal'. Through these show-cause notices these operators have been asked to pay Rs 50 crore in every circle where they were offering 3G services through roaming pacts. Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had approved the recommendation of a Department of Telecom committee on Rs 50 crore penalty.

Earlier in October the Delhi High Court had barred the government from stopping the mobile phone companies to offer 3G services through roaming pacts. This has come as a huge relief to Bharti Airtel.

Granting the stay on the government’s order to stop 3G services the High Court had said that DoT will not take any coercive action against the petitioner which will respond to the show-cause notice within 60 days.

Bharti Airtel had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging an advisory by DoT which asked the operator to stop intra-circle 3G roaming services within three days.

The court barred the telecom department from taking any 'coercive' action against Bharti Aitrtel till the next date of hearing, which it did not specify.

In July 2012 Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) had given a split verdict in the 3G intra circle roaming case in which the operators had challenged government’s directive to stop offering 3G services beyond their licensed zones through mutual roaming pacts.

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