Telecommunication icon Sam Pitroda on Tuesday said mobility on WLL telephony was unstoppable and the tussle between WLL and cellular providers could be resolved by way of financial pay-offs.

"The cellular operators have paid huge licence fee... you cannot ignore what they are saying. Best is to sit across the table and resolve the issue," Pitroda told PTI on the sidelines of a golden jubilee function of Institution of Electronic and Telecommunications Engineers, in New Delhi.

Pitroda, who was conferred the IETE award for his contribution in the telecom sector, said while awarding licence for basic telecom services, government should have realised that "this was coming."

Emphasising that resolution could take time but one had to move despite failures, he said unification of licences was also one of the options which needed closer consideration by both the sides.

"A solution should be such that is acceptable to both parties...it will happen over a period of time. The fact is that India's telecom subscriber base has increased significantly with the entry of cellular as well WLL operators," he added.

Asked to elaborate on the financial pay-offs, he said there has to be some kind of compensation to the cellular operators.