Terming TRAI’s proposals on reforms in licensing policy prima facie “reasonable”, the Department of Telecom has already constituted a committee to frame new spectrum allocation criteria, in line with the regulator’s suggestion.
The committee, with members from Telecom Engineering Centre, Member (Technology) of Telecom Commission, Wireless Planning and Coordination and Indian Institute of Technology, has deliberated on a new criteria of spectrum allocation once and will meet in the near future to move ahead, official sources said today.
It will soon invite members from both associations of telecom players — COAI and AUSPI — to participate in the meeting, they said.
On other proposals, the officials said as they cover crucial areas, which need elaborate examination, DoT may constitute a committee each on merger and acquisition issues and on allowing the use of GSM and CDMA technologies by a single operator in the same circle.
TRAI, while suggesting no cap on the number of access service providers in any service area, has proposed a new criteria for spectrum allocation to new as well as existing players.
It had asked the DoT to form a multi-disciplinary committee, consisting representatives from DoT or TEC, TRAI, WPC wing, COAI and AUSPI. The committee may be headed by an eminent scientist or technologist from a national level scientific institute.
The committee will look into ways suggested by the regulator to enhance the present subscriber norms as an interim measure so that the task of spectrum allocation is not stalled.