India will ask mobile operators to stop immediately providing 3G data services outside their licensed zones through roaming pacts with each other, reports Reuters. The latest move comes after the government said in December that it was illegal to offer 3G data services beyond operators' allotted zones. The carriers challenged the government order before the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), which in July gave a split verdict. Telecommunications officials will likely send the companies show cause notices as well as an advisory to stop 3G services through such pacts, said R Chandrashekhar, the secretary of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Although companies have 60 days to respond to the notice asking why action should not be taken against them for violating the rules, they will have to stop services immediately, he added. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India officials declined to comment immediately, while Idea Cellular officials were not available.
