The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has placed an option before the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on telecom – either seek a fresh opinion from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on the price of spectrum or revise the price downwards on its own. Alternatively, the EGoM could decide to keep the base price unchanged, according to a DoT communication.
Once the EGoM takes a decision, its recommendations will be sent for Cabinet approval.
On its part, DoT will seek necessary direction from the Cabinet on one-time charges for spectrum currently held by the operators.
The EGoM, when it meets, will also give guidelines on whether the entire quantity of the remaining spectrum in 800 MHz band should be auctioned and whether auction for the 900 MHz band needs to be conducted together with auction of 1,800 MHz band.
