Mobile service providers in the North East are clueless as to whether the licence of pre-paid connections in the region and Jammu and Kashmir, that expires in less than a month's time, would be extended or not.
The uncertainty has raised concern among lakhs of pre-paid mobile phone users in the region.
The existing licence for offering pre-paid mobile connections in NE expires on February 22 and the Centre had apprehensions on the suitability of renewing or extending the licence, especially after it was found that militants were using pre-paid connections.
However, the industry was positive that the licences would be extended.
''The present licence does expire on February 22. Though we have not received any intimation on renewal or its extension, we are expecting a positive development,'' Assam circle head of Reliance telecommunications C R Deka said.
He informed that since the later part of 2004, when pre-paid connections were re-introduced after they were lifted for some time, the licence for pre-paid connections has been awarded on an annual basis.
''The licence should be renewed in all possibility, though we could expect more terms and conditions while offering connections,'' Mr Deka said.
Public Relations Officer of Bharti Airtel Anjali Chittaranjan also sounded positive and said, ''We have not received any word from our higher-ups on discontinuing pre-paid services from mid-February, when the licence lapses.
''The licence would be renewed in all likelihood though the final word is still awaited,'' she added.
The government was contemplating ban on pre-paid connections after militants were found to be using such connections as they are more easily acquirable than post-paid connections.
Almost 80 per cent of the total mobile phone users in NE avail pre-paid connections service, with special set of rules already in place for pre-paid users in the region.
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