Etisalat has announced that it will shut down the operations of its Indian joint venture, Etisalat DB following the revocation of its licences by the nation’s apex court earlier this month, reports Reuters. The telco claimed that the ruling had forced its hand, saying that ‘the decision of the Supreme Court … has removed Etisalat DB’s ability to operate.’ The UAE-based company chose to reduce operating costs by suspending its network and services ‘in order to protect the interests of all stakeholders and to avoid incurring further costs at this time of rapid change and continued uncertainty in the Indian telecommunications sector.’ The shut-down might not be permanent, however: the company hinted that it would consider future activity in India ‘when there is clarity on the auction process and telecommunications policy and greater legal and regulatory certainty and stability.’
Etisalat is the second company to shut down services in the wake of the licence cancellations. Yesterday, STel confirmed that it was shutting up shop and was taking steps to migrate its customers to other networks.