DoT raises objections over TRAI’s spectrum price cut suggestion

03 Oct 2013 Evaluate

Pouring cold water on the expectations of a debt-laden industry, telecom department (DoT) panel has raised objections over the sector regulator’s suggestions of sharp reduction in reserve price of spectrum of up to 62%, on failing to see any reflection of true value of the spectrum in view the future growth potential and projections in the telecom sector. Besides, it has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to reconsider the lower reserve price it has fixed for both 900-MHz and 1,800-MHz spectrum to be auctioned in January next year.

This move would impact GSM operators who have been clamouring for a further reduction in the base price of this spectrum, claiming it is still too expensive at 80% of its actual value. The TRAI had recommended a reduction in the base price of 1,800-MHz spectrum by 37% to Rs 1,496 crore per MHz pan-India and up to 60% in the case of 900 MHz in the circles of Delhi (at Rs 288 crore), Mumbai (at Rs 262 crore) and Kolkata (at Rs 100 crore) which will come up for auction next year.

Additionally, the committee has also rejected two key recommendations of the TRAI. Firstly, the proposal to impose uniform spectrum usage charges of 3% of revenue on all auctioned spectrum, reasoning that revenues from auctioned and non-auctioned spectrum cannot be segregated, and could be examined only when all the operators hold liberalised spectrum. Secondly, it has rejected regulator's recommendation to adopt an extended GSM band and bring it for auction reasoning unfeasibility in doing so.

However, in a relief to CDMA operators like Sistema Shyam Teleservices and Tata Teleservices, the committee while rejecting the TRAI recommendation that would have ruined their growth path in the future has requested the regulator to give its recommendation on the reserve price and block size of 800 MHz so that it can be auctioned along with 900 and 1,800 MHz.

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