DoT to allocate spectrum on TRAI model

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Department of Telecom (DoT) is taking a serious note on the telecom regulator’s recommendation on the subscriber linked spectrum allocation criteria.

Failing to woo the contesting GSM operators lobby, the department is likely to accept the regulator’s recommendations on the subscriber linked criteria model. TRAI official sources informed that the department is considering the TRAI model of spectrum allocation.

“The process will take some time till the government comes out with the final decision on it. However, it is likely there could be some changes on the final guidelines compared to the original recommendations filed by TRAI,” a TRAI source added.

For more than two months the government and the operators are on loggerheads over the spectrum allocation. The Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) report on subscriber linked criteria had sparked huge opposition from the GSM lobby.

The initial TRAI report had recommended government to hike the subscriber numbers from 4 to 6 times from the current number for additional spectrum allocation to telecos. Later the TEC suggested hiking the subscriber numbers from 8 to 12 times. A number of meetings between the telecos and the DoT officials failed to reach to a consensus on the subscriber number game.

The telecos have moved the court challenging the TEC report on hiking the subscriber numbers.