EGoM to meet on Wednesday to take a call on spectrum
18 Jun 2012
The empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on telecom, headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, which is likely to meet on 20 June, may take a final call on the 2G reserve price and policy for auctioning spectrum.
The finance minister, who heads 12 EGoMS including the one on spectrum, would have to resign before he files nomination for the president's post. Importantly, all 2G related issued have to finalised this month and spectrum auction to be completed before the 31 August deadline set by India's Supreme Court.
In its meeting earlier this month, the EGoM had decided to auction a minimum 10 MHZ megahertz spectrum, but stopped short of taking a decision on the controversial proposal to redistribute the 900 MHz spectrum. The panel also did not arrive at a conclusive decision on spectrum pricing and auction.
The EGoM had decided to sell up to 13.75 MHz of spectrum in the 1800 MHz band in the upcoming auctions, which enables the possibility of at least two operators winning back their cancelled permits.
The government can raise a minimum of Rs49,800 crore if 13.75 MHz spectrum is sold at TRAI recommended prices.
The nine-member EGoM did not take any decision on the reserve price for spectrum to be sold in the auctions, but would stick to the 31 August deadline as mandated by the Supreme Court.
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