Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has stepped into the ongoing 3G roaming agreements issue. The operator has been made a party to the case by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) on grounds of its business being impacted by the 3G pacts.

In its application to TDSAT, BSNL had said that the operators under scrutiny acquired 3G subscribers by inking "illegal" inter/intra-circle roaming agreements without having the required spectrum in certain circles.

BSNL also said that these operators were providing 3G services by "misrepresenting" to the public the "strength of the arrangements or agreements" entered by them.

Prior to this, TDSAT asked the operators involved in the issue to outline the steps they would take to compensate the government, if they lose the case.

On January 20, 2012 TDSAT had dismissed DoT’s plea challenging the former's jurisdiction to decide on 3G roaming dispute and held it has the power to decide on government's direction on 3G roaming agreements among operators.