India panel studying possible licence violations by Bharti, Tata Communications

A panel within India's Department of Telecommunications is examining whether Tata Communications Ltd. and Bharti Airtel Ltd. violated international telecommunications licensing rules by entering into a pact with Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., the country's federal junior telecommunications minister said Friday.

SingTel signed an agreement with Bharti and Tata Communications, allowing the two Indian companies to provide International Private Leased Circuits, or IPLC, communication services to the Singapore-based company's clients from India, Milind Deora told lawmakers in the upper house of parliament. International Private Leased Circuits connect various offices of a single company to a single network.

"An international [telecommunications] carrier may enter into an agreement with the carriers of other countries, where it does not have license to operate" such services, he added. The three companies couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

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