TRAI norms challenged with evidence: Mittal

New Delhi, Nov 26: Country's leading mobile player Bharti Airtel today said it had challenged telecom regulator TRAI and TEC norms with proper evidence and data.

''Ignorance cannot be used as an excuse to change norms and we have challenged spectrum allocation norms recommended by the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) with proper evidence and data,'' company's Chairman and Managing Director Sunil Bharti Mittal told reporters after meeting the telecom panel formed to review spectrum allocation norms.

''We can't be questioned on the adoption of modern technology,'' Mr Mittal added.

The committee, headed by DoT Additional Secretary R Bandhopadhyay and comprising representatives from GSM and CDMA operators, is meeting for the second time today and will again meet on November 30.

TEC had given its report on spectrum allocation norms earlier this month, suggesting manifold increase in subscribers for allocation of additional radio waves.

The Communication Minister A Raja had accepted the report in-principle, but in view of strong protests from GSM operators -- Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular -- the government constituted a panel to revisit the norms.

The committee has to give a report by the end of this month.

UNI