Raja plans individual meeting with telcos
Communications and IT minister A Raja has hinted at the possibility of meeting operators individually to resolve differences.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: With the impasse over spectrum allocation norms not coming to an end, communications and IT minister A Raja hinted at the possibility of meeting operators individually to resolve differences.
“I may meet the operators. I’ll discuss with the committee reviewing the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) recommendations about the outcome of first round of meeting with service providers,” Mr Raja said.
The review committee, constituted by the department of telecom (DoT), met the GSM and CDMA operators and their associations on Monday. It will meet again on November 30, with TEC representatives in attendance, before submitting its recommendations on the subscriber-based spectrum allocation criteria.
GSM and CDMA operators remain divided over the subscriber-based spectrum allocation norms. Telecom regulator Trai had made the case for tightening the existing norms by two to six times for additional spectrum allocation, TEC had suggested an even further tightening by four to 15 times.
On Monday, GSM and CDMA operators had presented their case in front of the review committee headed by DoT additional secretary R Bandhopadhyay.
Leading GSM operator Bharti Airtel had contested TEC’s allocation norms, saying it was not scientifically correct. Bharti chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal told the committee that GSM operators were making best use of technology to efficiently use spectrum and the government can’t question them in this regard.
On the other hand, Reliance Communications chairman Anil Ambani had argued that TEC’s recommended norms could be further tightened two to seven times. He had earlier written to the prime minister to intervene and tighten the spectrum allocation norms. Mr Raja refused to comment on Mr Ambani’s letter.
“I may meet the operators. I’ll discuss with the committee reviewing the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) recommendations about the outcome of first round of meeting with service providers,” Mr Raja said.
The review committee, constituted by the department of telecom (DoT), met the GSM and CDMA operators and their associations on Monday. It will meet again on November 30, with TEC representatives in attendance, before submitting its recommendations on the subscriber-based spectrum allocation criteria.
GSM and CDMA operators remain divided over the subscriber-based spectrum allocation norms. Telecom regulator Trai had made the case for tightening the existing norms by two to six times for additional spectrum allocation, TEC had suggested an even further tightening by four to 15 times.
On Monday, GSM and CDMA operators had presented their case in front of the review committee headed by DoT additional secretary R Bandhopadhyay.
Leading GSM operator Bharti Airtel had contested TEC’s allocation norms, saying it was not scientifically correct. Bharti chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal told the committee that GSM operators were making best use of technology to efficiently use spectrum and the government can’t question them in this regard.
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On the other hand, Reliance Communications chairman Anil Ambani had argued that TEC’s recommended norms could be further tightened two to seven times. He had earlier written to the prime minister to intervene and tighten the spectrum allocation norms. Mr Raja refused to comment on Mr Ambani’s letter.
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