TRAI refutes GSM operators'' charge of non-transparency
05 Sep 2007
New Delhi: Telecom regulator TRAI today dismissed the allegations of non-transparency while recommending criteria to allocate spectrum to existing players as claimed by GSM operators.
On
29 August suggested framing a new spectrum allocation
criteria for mobile operators as part of its recommendations
on review of licence terms for companies. It had asked
the government to enhance the present subscriber norms
for spectrum allocation and also suggested raising the
spectrum prices for GSM players.
The GSM service providers'' body, the Cellular Operators
Association of India (COAI), said that it was considering
approaching the Department of Telecom against TRAI ''s
recommendations, saying the regulator did not consult
it before finalising its report on spectrum allocation.
The media had today reported that the COAI was contemplating court action to block the report. Responding to a question on the media reports, T V Ramchandran, director general, COAI, said, it was studying "all available options" and would first make a presentation to DoT as TRAI had made only recommendations, which the DoT was yet to accept or reject.
Ramchandran,
COAI, said that even TRAI''s calculations for the purpose
of allocating additional spectrum were "ridiculous"
and accused the regulator of bypassing the consultation
procedure.