Mukherjee favours clear-cut policy on spectrum
Amid a raging controversy over spectrum allocation, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee favours framing of a clear policy on the issue.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: Amid a raging controversy over spectrum allocation, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee favours framing of a "clear" policy on the issue.
"A lot of ad-hoc decisions have been taken in the past. So it has been suggested that there should a clear-cut policy which will be known to everybody as to how spectrum will be distributed," he told PTI.
Mukherjee, who is heading a Group of Ministers (GoMs) on the issue of getting defence services to vacate spectrum for civilian use, said that a group has been formed under the chairmanship of National Security Adviser to look into various aspects.
Though his GoM is limited to the issue of getting spectrum vacated from the defence, Mukherjee said Telecom Minister A Raja has been discussing with him the ongoing controversy over the allocation of frequency to the existing as well as new telecom operators.
"Though Raja and others are talking to me, my GoM is limited to spectrum vacation," Mukherjee said.
The controversy over spectrum allocation erupted after Department of Telecom (DoT) accepted TRAI's recommendations that proposed up to six times higher subscriber base to become eligible for additional spectrum.
TRAI norms, along with DoT's decision to allow dual technology for mobile services, were challenged in the TDSAT and then in the Delhi High Court by the GSM operators' lobby Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
"A lot of ad-hoc decisions have been taken in the past. So it has been suggested that there should a clear-cut policy which will be known to everybody as to how spectrum will be distributed," he told PTI.
Mukherjee, who is heading a Group of Ministers (GoMs) on the issue of getting defence services to vacate spectrum for civilian use, said that a group has been formed under the chairmanship of National Security Adviser to look into various aspects.
Though his GoM is limited to the issue of getting spectrum vacated from the defence, Mukherjee said Telecom Minister A Raja has been discussing with him the ongoing controversy over the allocation of frequency to the existing as well as new telecom operators.
"Though Raja and others are talking to me, my GoM is limited to spectrum vacation," Mukherjee said.
The controversy over spectrum allocation erupted after Department of Telecom (DoT) accepted TRAI's recommendations that proposed up to six times higher subscriber base to become eligible for additional spectrum.
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TRAI norms, along with DoT's decision to allow dual technology for mobile services, were challenged in the TDSAT and then in the Delhi High Court by the GSM operators' lobby Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
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