Indian telecom industry body urges e-commerce portals to stop selling mobile signal boosters

MUMBAI, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Indian telecom service providers has asked e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal to immediately stop sale of mobile signal boosters as these equipment cause network interference and impacts quality of service to end consumers, a news report said on Thursday.

In a letter addressed to e-commerce companies, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), an industry body pointed out that under the Indian Wireless Telegraph Act, 1933, possession and sale of such equipment without a license from the department of telecommunications (DoT) is a punishable offence.

"Despite clear provisions of law and specific directions from DoT prohibiting possession and sale of such equipment operating in licensed spectrum bands without obtaining requisite permission from DoT, your platform continues to sell such boosters or repeaters," the Mint financial daily quoted the COAI letter as saying.

Mobile signal boosting equipments are available from 21.5 U.S. dollars onwards and are used in high density population areas putting pressure on the already congested mobile network.

In December, Indian Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha in a written reply to the lower house of the parliament, Lok Sabha, informed that few e-commerce companies have been directed to ensure compliance with statutory norms as they were found to be dealing with "unauthorized" wireless equipment, including boosters.