Telecom Commission to discuss spectrum auction on April 30

DoT had asked TRAI to reconsider whether all available spectrum in the 700 MHz band should be put up for auction or split in two phases.

New Delhi:

The inter-ministerial panel Telecom Commission will take up for discussion, at its meeting scheduled for April 30, the plans for upcoming spectrum auction. According to official sources, the meeting, to be chaired by Telecom Secretary JS Deepak on April 30, will discuss spectrum base price, usage charge and other modalities related to the next round of spectrum auction.

Telecom regulator TRAI has recommended to the government a mega spectrum plan that could fetch the Exchequer about Rs 5.36 lakh crore. Telecom Commission last month sought clarification on various points recommended by the regulator including pricing methodology, spectrum usage charges, partial auction of premium 700 mhz band.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has reiterated that the entire spectrum available in 700 Mhz band should be auctioned in the upcoming sale as non-utilisation would result into irreversible loss to the government. It has recommended a record high base price of Rs 11,485 crore per megahertz for the 700 Mhz band, which would be auctioned for the first time. Department of Telecom (DoT) had asked TRAI to reconsider whether all available spectrum in the 700 MHz band should be put up for auction or split in two phases.

TRAI said it is of the opinion that the entire spectrum in the 700 MHz band is required to be made available for commercial use without delay and reiterated its earlier recommendation that entire available spectrum (2x35MHz) in the band should be put up in the upcoming auction. TRAI also reiterated its proposal regarding the pricing of 700 MHz band, for which it had proposed a base price that is four times of 1800 MHz band.