Telecom operator Reliance Jio did not attend a meeting of the Cellular Operators Association of India on Friday because of its opposition to the body’s current voting norms. The company told the COAI that its participation in its meetings would only be possible after the Association re-framed the rules to allow proportionate voting rights based on the revenue of member companies, PTI reported.
COAI Director General Rajan Mathews confirmed that representatives from the Mukesh Ambani-owned company did not attend the meeting. The issue of voting rights was also discussed by the body during its meeting, Mathews said. “Other members expressed satisfaction with the functioning of [the] COAI and its voting norms. They unanimously agreed there is no need for changing voting rules,” he said.
The current procedure at the body gives the three biggest telecom operators in India – Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone – 68% of the total votes during its meetings. Jio has accused the COAI of being in favour of the three companies because of the rule, saying it has given them “the absolute control to influence any or all” of its decisions.
Soon after its September 1 launch, Reliance Jio had started claiming that its rival telecom companies had not provided the required interconnections, causing a large number of call drops. The Mukesh Ambani-led company claimed that the other telecom firms were engaging in an “unlawful and illegal delay” on providing the points of connection.
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