Spectrum price News

Telecom regulator Trai expects to start the consultation process for the next round of spectrum auction in about a fortnight.

The Telecom Commission, an inter-ministerial body, is scheduled to meet on March 28 to discuss the next round of spectrum auction, which would see radiowaves worth Rs 5.36 lakh crore put up for sale.

Adjustment of one-time entry fee paid by telecom companies whose licences were quashed by the Supreme Court against the spectrum price they paid in 2012-13 deprived national exchequer of Rs 5,476.3 crore, a CAG report tabled in Parliament said Friday.

Expressing concern over high base price for spectrum as recommended by regulator Trai, global telecom body GSM Association Tuesday said the government should keep it at "a reasonable level" to achieve the objective of Digital India.

Sectoral regulator TRAI Wednesday recommended that there is no "plausible reason" to change present restrictions on overall spectrum holding and in a frequency band.

This rate for the next round of auction, is the highest rate for any telecom frequency band, even as leading operators have sought holding back sale of the radiowaves in this band.

Complexities in India as also high cost of spectrum and taxes make the country a difficult place to do business, Vodafone Group CEO Vittorio Colao said Monday.

The next round of spectrum auction is proposed to be held in February 2015 from which government is estimated to garner at least Rs 9,355 crore.

TRAI has recommended about 10 percent higher price for next round of spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band, known as 2G spectrum.