NEW DELHI, April 8 (Reuters) - Telecom firms Bharti AirtelLtd, Vodafone Group Plc's local unit and IdeaCellular can maintain until April 11 pacts allowingthem to offer 3G services outside their licensed zones, India'ssupreme court ruled on Monday.
The telecommunications ministry had asked Bharti Airtel,Vodafone and Idea Cellular to end the pacts, which thegovernment says are illegal. It also imposed penalties on thecompanies.
The court will hear the case again on April 11. The disputeover the 3G pacts is one of several regulatory challengeshurting carriers in the world's second-biggest mobile phonemarket.