EGoM on telecom to get wider mandate after Mukherjee’s departure: reports

According to Bloomberg UTV, a fresh evaluation is being made on the refarming  issue pertaining to 2G licenses. It added that the new EGoM following the departure of  Pranab Mukherjee could have  wider mandate.

Bloomberg UTV, quoting unnamed sources said, the government may not look at refarming, but focus on re-pricing the spectrum, adding that the sources said, refarming may be done for spectrum beyond 5 MHz and 2.5 MHz only. Also, sources said that the government would, broadly follow  the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) guidelines.

Meanwhile, the government had approved the Trai proposal of refarming, under which old operators namely Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, might be required to surrender airwaves allocated to them in 900 Mhz band (premium frequency band used for 2G services) on expiry of their licences.

The companies would have the option to repurchase the airwaves through auction proposed in first half of 2013.

The proposal is said to form part of an amicable solution, which the telecom ministry was offering to the industry. The solution was packaged around spectrum price policy, refarming and minimum price of airwaves to be paid in the auction, due before 31 August.

Also, in a move intended to bring about uniformity across the sector, the government has decided to charge 8 per cent of gross revenue as licence fee from all telecom firms across all categories and services from 2013-14.