Supreme Court Upholds Kerala High Court Verdict on Telecom Tariff Orders

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal against TRAI's telecom tariff orders, reinforcing a Kerala High Court decision that disputes should be addressed by TDSAT. It clarified IBDF can challenge tariff orders with TDSAT and later pursue statutory appeal if needed, referencing the 2014 BSNL judgment.

The Supreme Court has affirmed a Kerala High Court decision, advising that disputes concerning telecom tariff orders issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) should be addressed by the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

A bench consisting of Justices P S Narasimha and Sandeep Mehta dismissed an appeal by the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), which challenged certain provisions of TRAI's 2017 regulations and tariff order, recommending that TDSAT is the competent forum for such matters.

The justices also acknowledged the jurisdictional challenges pointed out by the IBDF in light of a previous 2014 Supreme Court ruling and clarified avenues for legal recourse for stakeholders, leaving the possibility of legislative or constitutional intervention open.

(With inputs from agencies.)