Mobile phone companies have asked the telecom department to defer fines on base stations that fail to meet radiation norms because of procedural lapses till such time as revised guidelines on penalties are issued.

Telecom lobby groups representing GSM and CDMA carriers say that the penalty for delay in compliance due to issues such as lack of proper paperwork and absence of certification documents should not be . 5 lakh—the fine fixed by the government for base stations where emission levels are higher than the limit set last year.