NBTC has charter rights independent of PPP Act
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The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has the right to grant broadcasting and telecom licences to private operators and is not subject to the Public Private Partnership Act, Attorney-General Chulasingh Vasantasingh said.
The NBTC was set up under constitutional law, which takes precedence over the PPP Act, he explained.
The 1997 and the 2007 constitutions both established an independent telecom and broadcasting regulatory body to allocate spectra.
Previously, spectra were allocated under state concessions, and therefore came under public-private joint-venture regulations. But the new licensing system falls under the telecom and broadcasting regulatory body as mandated by the charter.
He added that the NBTC had the right to set up the process for granting spectra, such as for third-generation telecommunication and digital television, for the benefit of the public.
