This would mean that new operators will not have to pass on payment to existing operators, while the latter will have to “incur costs”. COAI added it appears that the exercise is aimed at hurting the financial and operations viability of existing operators. These papers, the industry body said, seen along with other recent TRAI decisions, point to a pattern of discrimination against the existing mobile operators. In a letter, COAI sought to bring attention to some recent consultation papers and decisions by TRAI that allegedly favoured new entrant Reliance Jio. The battle brewing between the telecom players has turned into a full fledged war with Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) writing to the Prime Ministers’ Office “expressing deep concern” over the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) allegedly favouring the new entrant Reliance Jio, while hurting existing operators such as Airtel, Idea and Vodafone.

Source: The Hindu August 11, 2016 13:41 UTC