New spectrum applicants for expediting licencing process
The Telecom policy states that LoIs are to be issued within 30 days of a company submitting an application. Aggressive CEOs trump softer peers
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: Uneasy over the delay in getting the Letters of Intent for a telecom licence, many of the new applicants are contemplating approaching Communications Minister A Raja soon to expedite the process.
These aspirants are agitated that although neither the Delhi High Court nor telecom tribunal TDSAT had stayed the process, yet the Department of Telecom has held up issuance of LOIs without any justifiable reason, sources among the applicants said but declined to be identified.
According to sources, telecom secretary D S Mathur, who is due to retire on December 31, said in a note to Raja last week that LoIs should be issued to applicants as per the policy. According to the policy, LoIs are to be issued within 30 days of a company submitting an application.
Sources alleged existing mobile operators were trying to stop the entry of new operators by challenging government's action to issue the LoI. They said DoT officials are also questioning the demand for LoIs and spectrum by some of the existing players like Idea Cellular and Spice Telecom as they have challenged the Unified Services License (UAS) policy.
As a normal practice, DoT would wait to issue LoIs to these litigants like Idea, Spice and Vodafone till the matter in the court was settled. On the other hand, the files of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications and Aircel have been cleared by Wireless Planning Coordination, a wing of DoT for allocating spectrum, for issue of start up frequency.
Sources said while on the one hand the GSM lobby was opposing every decision of the government but on the other, it was negotiating with the government to reduce tension.
DoT has received about 500 applications for a telecom licence, including realty players DLF and Unitech, and smaller firms like Shyam Telecom and HFCL.
These aspirants are agitated that although neither the Delhi High Court nor telecom tribunal TDSAT had stayed the process, yet the Department of Telecom has held up issuance of LOIs without any justifiable reason, sources among the applicants said but declined to be identified.
According to sources, telecom secretary D S Mathur, who is due to retire on December 31, said in a note to Raja last week that LoIs should be issued to applicants as per the policy. According to the policy, LoIs are to be issued within 30 days of a company submitting an application.
Sources alleged existing mobile operators were trying to stop the entry of new operators by challenging government's action to issue the LoI. They said DoT officials are also questioning the demand for LoIs and spectrum by some of the existing players like Idea Cellular and Spice Telecom as they have challenged the Unified Services License (UAS) policy.
As a normal practice, DoT would wait to issue LoIs to these litigants like Idea, Spice and Vodafone till the matter in the court was settled. On the other hand, the files of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications and Aircel have been cleared by Wireless Planning Coordination, a wing of DoT for allocating spectrum, for issue of start up frequency.
Sources said while on the one hand the GSM lobby was opposing every decision of the government but on the other, it was negotiating with the government to reduce tension.
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DoT has received about 500 applications for a telecom licence, including realty players DLF and Unitech, and smaller firms like Shyam Telecom and HFCL.
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