SSTL looks to shore up defences amidst licence crisis

Beleaguered wireless provider Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL), which operates under the MTS India brand, has requested that the government issue it a temporary licence, to protect against the possibility of the Supreme Court ordering its closure. The Economic Times writes that SSTL has sought a concession to guarantee its right to continue operating until the next wave of spectrum auctions in early March. The request follows a decision from the apex court, instructing all cellcos affected by the mass licence cancellation in February 2012 that did not win spectrum or did not compete in the November auction to shut down services immediately. The ruling led to the disconnection of 1.8 million Uninor subscribers. SSTL is reportedly awaiting a separate decision from the Supreme Court.