EGoM meet on spectrum scheduled for 3 October

New Delhi:The Empowered Group of Ministerson Telecom, headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, isscheduled to meet on 3 October to decide on the issue ofone-time fee on spectrum held by existing telecom operators.

"Yes, it is (EGoM meet) on October 3," confirmed a seniorgovernment official when asked about the schedule for themeeting.In July, the Cabinet had referred the matter to EGoM forobtaining its view. Later in the month, EGoM had deferred adecision on the matter till the outcome of PresidentialReference.

[caption id="attachment_474059" align="alignleft" width="380"] P Chidambaram.[/caption]

Following the Supreme Court's opinion on the PresidentialReference, the government is now free to take a decision inthis regard.The DoT had made four proposals to the Cabinet onone-time fee -- no charge; levy a one-time fee on all airwavesheld by existing telecom companies; impose a fee on airwavesheld beyond the start-up spectrum of 4.4 MHz; or levy a fee onairwaves held beyond the contracted spectrum of 6.2 MHz.

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According to a top DoT official, the department added theoption of one-time auction-determined price for all spectrumheld by the operators to create a level-playing field betweennew entrants and and existing players.

Existing players were allocated pan-India permits with4.4 Mhz of airwaves frequencies at price of Rs 1,658 crore butnew telecom operators will have to pay a minimum of Rs 14,000crore for similar set of airwaves for pan-India business inauction that are scheduled to start in November.

According to sources, the EGoM has also been given thetask of considering matters relating to e-auction of FM Radiobroadcasting services in the light of recommendations made byTelecom Regulatory Authority of India.

PTI