DoT has fined Bharti Airtel, one of the largest mobile service providers, with INR 3500 million for providing third generation (3G) high-speed data services in the region of Kolkata, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala without obtaining required permit from the DoT. Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea had obtained the required permit in 13, 9 and 11 circles respectively in the 2010 auction which allows them to provide the said 3G services only within the respective circles for which licenses were granted. The three telecom giants entered into a mutually beneficial agreement with each other to provide services in the circles where they do not have the permit by utilizing the other partner's airways which has obtained permit.

PSA view – Bharti Airtel has filed an application with the Delhi High Court on March 15, 2013 seeking injunction against the notice issued by the DoT and the matter is posted for hearing. The matter is sub-judice at present and the decision to be taken by the Court is imperative, because if Bharti Airtel fails to obtain favorable order, it will have to stop providing the 3G services in the circles it does not have a permit and pay a fine of INR 3500 million. DoT is likely to take similar action against Vodafone and Idea.

Government launched National Internet Registry

In November 2012, the RBI had issued a directive that all payment gateways and websites of banks, financial institutions and insurance companies should migrate to IPv6 from IPv4, tentatively by December 2012. In order to adopt IPv6 in India, DoT had introduced "National IPv6 Deployment Roadmap" in July 2010. Now, the government has launched the NIR, which will oversee the allocation of internet protocol addresses to internet service providers in India. NIR has been re-christened as Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers ("IRINN") and will act as a division of National Internet Exchange of India ("NIXI"). NIXI manages the allocation and registration of internet resources in India. NIXI had also procured an in-principal approval from Asia Pacific Network Information Centre to become India's NIR in November 2011.

PSA view – Now internet service providers can buy IP addresses from NIR locally and dependence on Asia Pacific Network Information Centre will decrease. The rates may even be cheaper. Further, NIR will enable faster information access to cyber crime investigators and government authorities.

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