Indian state-owned operator BSNL has written to the government seeking a two-year extension to the validity of its mobile license and spectrum.
The operator is seeking to extend its license validity until 2022, instead of the current 2020, due to the two-year delay between the granting of the license and the first rollout, the Economic Timesreported.
The delays were due to factors including the requirement for telecoms regulator Trai to outline the terms and conditions of the license.
BSNL operates services in all of India's 22 telecoms circles except for Mumbai and Delhi, which are served by fellow state operator MTNL. BSNL has nearly 100 million mobile subscribers, giving it a market share of around 8.7%.
MTNL is separately seeking to extend the validity of its own license by two years until 2021, arguing that its license remained underused during the first four years. The operator made the request in June.