India's leading telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel has filed a law suit in the Delhi High Court challenging a notice on agreements between companies for roaming for 3G services.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has sent a show cause notice to the telecom company for 3G roaming agreements in the country. The notice asks Bharti Airtel to stop providing 3G services in seven circles, where it does not have license to provide 3G services but is using agreements with other teleocm players to offer services to its customers.

The notice orders Bharti to stop providing 3G services in several circles including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kolkata, Uttar Pradesh East, Gujarat, Kerala and Haryana. The notice seeks to impose total damages of Rs 350 crore on the company for entering into such agreements.

Government officials indicated that similar notices will also be sent to Vodafone and Idea by the evening. The telecom regulator is asking the telecom players to explain why action should not be taken against them for providing 3G services in circles where they do not have licenses.

Bharti Airtel had won 3G spectrum in 13 service areas, while Idea won access to 11 and the Vodafone acquired nine, out of the country's 22 service areas. The telecom ministry had informed the companies earlier that it is illegal to offer 3G services beyond their permitted zones through mutual agreements between the service providers.

Bharti, Vodafone and Idea have claimed that their mutual roaming agreements compile with the telecom licensing rules. Tata Teleservices and Aircel had earlier challenged the government's order before the TDSAT.