The basic and cellular industry seems to have agreed to workout a long-term solution to resolve the controversial Wireless in Local Loop issue, and the Group constituted by Communications and IT Minister Arun Shourie would meet on March 3 to find a solution.
"A lot of issues have got clarified but some more discussions are required and we will meet again on March 3," telecom secretary Vinod Vaish told reporters after a two-hour meeting of the high-powered group in New Delhi.
Vaish said that the group felt that a long-term solution to the WLL issue was required to remove the hurdles.
It is in this spirit that the two warring telecom sections, cellular and basic operators, offering limited mobility services may seek an adjournment in telecom tribunal on Feruary 24, when WLL matter comes up for review.
"There is a possibility that the two sides would get the case adjourned on February 24. The players would explore the possibility and take a decision," Vaish said.
Friday's meeting was attended by Mukesh Ambani (Reliance) Rajan Mittal (Bharti), Prithipal Singh (BSNL), Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and other industry representatives.
Vaish said there was no decision at present to withdraw the cases in Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal.
The Group was supposed to submit its report on the issue to Shourie on March 1, however, Vaish said on March 3, the group would be in a position to decide how much more time would be required to complete the work assigned to it.
Vaish declined to comment on the fresh demands raised by the two sides, and also on common grounds, which would be explored, saying it was "premature".
One of the participants at Friday's meeting said there was a consensus among basic and cellular operators that prolonged litigations would affect the flow of investments both domestic and foreign -- in the telecom sector.
This was the second meeting of the group that was constituted by Shourie on February 14 to bring the two sides on the negotiating table.
The Group would work on three issues, including enforcing the terms of limited mobility, and ensuring a level playing field, with a view to resolve the two-year long stand-off on WLL issues.
