Spectrum title tussle: Airwaves allocated to telcos not asset, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India has ruled that telecom spectrum is a sovereign asset owned by the government for the benefit of citizens, and cannot be claimed as property by telecom companies or their lenders.

A bench of Justices Pamidighantam S. Narasimha and Atul S. Chandurkar held that spectrum is a “material resource of the community” and must serve the common good. Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) only have a licence to use spectrum — not ownership rights.