India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) still needs to examine over 100 applications from local cellcos seeking additional 2G spectrum, according to the Hindu Business Line. Allocation of new airwaves has reportedly been held up for the last two…
India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) still needs to examine over 100 applications from local cellcos seeking additional 2G spectrum, according to the Hindu Business Line. Allocation of new airwaves has reportedly been held up for the last two years.
The newspaper explains that the highest number of applications, 17, is for the Delhi circle. Bharti Airtel is the first company to request new frequencies in seven circles, followed by Vodafone in five circles.
According to the report, India’ defence forces are about to release 10 MHz of spectrum in most of the country’s 23 circles, which could see about four or five operators per circle receiving frequencies.
For the moment, the DoT offers additional spectrum on a first-come first-served basis, but the Ministry of Finance has said that it favours an auction process for new frequencies. The debate will need to be resolved before any player can get new spectrum, explained the report.
