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Panel for spectrum sale in February [India Business] [Times of India]
[November 11, 2014]

Panel for spectrum sale in February [India Business] [Times of India]


(Times of India Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NEW DELHI: The Telecom Commission has found no merit in the demand of telecom regulator Trai and mobile operators to defer the spectrum auctions in February, though it is yet to take a final call on the matter as it decided to send the matter back to Trai for a review. The inter-ministerial panel, which is the supreme decision-making body on telecom matters, however, concurred with the views of Trai that discussions should be initiated with the defence ministry to free up spectrum in bands like that used for 3G services (2,100 MHz). "Telecom Commission has decided to send back the reference to Trai as some clarification is required on some of the recommendations. Some recommendations also cannot be implemented and hence the commission wants Trai to re-consider them," a top DoT official said on Friday, while briefing about the commission's decision. The commission felt that auctions slated for February next year should be held as scheduled and there is no need to defer them in order to have more spectrum available for sale. It went with the decision taken by a panel of DoT, which also said there is no case to defer the upcoming auctions for want of additional spectrum. In a letter written to telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, CEOs of the country's top telecom companies - Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular and Reliance Communications - had said spectrum auctions should be deferred till the time the government manages a good quantity of spectrum for sale. Also, they sought extension of spectrum holdings for licences expiring in 2015-16. Trai also suggested the same. In its October recommendations for valuation and reserve price of spectrum meant for licences expiring in 2015-16, Trai had made a case for a big-bang sale of spectrum, including that used for the high-speed 3G and 4G services. The authority had recommended that spectrum auctions should be held in 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz (3G band) simultaneously, instead of the stipulated sale of 184 MHz spectrum in the 900 MHz band (all vacated after expiry of licences) and 104 MHz in the 1800 MHz frequency. The views of the commission on Trai's suggestion of a 10% hike in auction price for 1800 Mhz are yet not clear. The commission also sent back recommendations given for the 800 Mhz (CDMA) spectrum band by Trai for reconsidering some points. The regulator had suggested CDMA spectrum reserve price of Rs 2,685 crore per megahertz for auction, which was around 50% higher than the previous pan-India base price.



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