Notifying Aircel customers to shift to another operator would “results into public dissatisfaction at large”, The Department of Telecom (DoT) told the Supreme Court as indicated by this Tribube India report. The SC was hearing replies filed by the DoT after it earlier threatened to withdraw 2G spectrum licenses owned by Aircel in 14 circles as the company’s promoter Maxis Berhad failed to show up in court for its role in the 2G scam case. Maxis currently owns a 74% stake in Aircel and the apex court had earlier ordered the promoter to attend proceedings at a lower court for CBI’s investigation into the 2G scam. However, Maxis owner T Ananda Krishnan and former director Augustus Ralph Marshall did not appear in court. The SC then ordered DoT to look for an “alternative” service provider for Aircel’s 91 million customers. On Friday the DoT informed SC that “any such provisional shifting will result in shifting of revenue to other service providers and may require auction process to be followed…such shifting (of subscribers) is not feasible for the answering respondent (DoT) to implement.” The telecom department added that any license revoking would be followed by a public notice issued to all subscribers informing them port out their number before the network shut down. Earlier, Aircel had asked the apex court not to pass any order that might put its spectrum holding in jeopardy stating that it would cause “incalculable damage”, according to this ET report. Aircel is currently in the process of…
