Internet service providers, on Friday, approached Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against the government imposing a licence fee of 4 per cent of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR).
Internet service providers’ association (ISPAI) has submitted that the government cannot “unilaterally amend the licence fee during the currency of the Licence Agreement”. The government, in an order on June 26, imposed an annual licence fee of 4 per cent of AGR on Internet providers, who were not providing Internet-based telephone services.
Earlier, the service providers were only providing a notional licence fee of Re.1 only. Those who were providing Internet telephony and paying a fee of 6 per cent of AGR, have been asked to pay 7 per cent. “A contract cannot be unilaterally amended by one of the parties without the consent of the other,” they said.
