Govt to take call on spectrum pricing by end of this month

24 Dec 2014 Evaluate

The government by the end of this month is likely to take a decision on base price for spectrum, which is expected to be auctioned by February next year. The decision would put an end to impending spectrum pricing brawl as Inter-ministerial panel Telecom Commission, early this month, recommended a base price of Rs 3,693 crore per megahertz for the premium 900 MHz frequency band, 23% higher than the price recommended by telecom regulator, TRAI for the spectrum auction in February.

The commission finalized a base price of Rs 3,646 crore per Mhz for CDMA band, nearly 17% higher than the price suggested by TRAI. Telecom regulator had recommended that base price for 900 Mhz band price be kept at Rs 3,004 crore per Mhz, for 1800 Mhz at Rs 2,138 crore and for CDMA spectrum at Rs 3,104 crore.

Soon after the prices are approved by the Cabinet, that Department of Telecom (DoT) expects to issue auction details through 'Notice Inviting Application' (NIA). According to a presentation by DoT to Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on November 13, the department expects to issue NIA by December 26-27 and start bidding for spectrum by February 23.

Separately, DoT is also mulling to auction 3G spectrum along with these three bands for which telecom regulator TRAI is expected to give its recommendations on price and other conditions in the first week of January.

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