DoT forms eight teams to study different telecom policy issues

NEW DELHI: In run-up to formulate the new telecom policy, the Department of Telecom has formed eight teams to discuss wide-ranging issues related to spectrum, merger and acquisition, indigenous manufacturing and security.

"...eight teams have been identified and constituted with respective chairmen and members. They will be submitting the reports soon," sources in the Telecom Ministry said.

The teams formed will also be looking into telecom related issues like delinking of spectrum from licencing of access service in future and renewal of licences, among other things.

Further, they will discuss mergers and acquisition issues like relevant market share, minimum number of operators post merger, spectrum pricing on consolidation, spectrum transfer charges and bringing the telecom infrastructure providers (IP-1) under the licencing framework.

The teams have been directed to take into account certain observations made by one-man committee report submitted by Shivraj V Patil on the telecom.

In the beginning of this year, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had initiated action to formulate comprehensive National Telecom Policy 2011 under his 100 days agenda.

Yesterday, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal held a meeting with various telecom stakeholders and discussed issues related to the industry.