Defence Min will release more spectrum: DoT

The Department of Telecom (DoT) is hopeful that the Defence Ministry will release more spectrum for the 3G radio wave auction scheduled for next month.

Now that we have got the Cabinet approval for laying an alternate dedicated network for the defence, we are hopeful that defence will release more spectrum, a DoT official said.

The alternate optical fibre cable project will enable the defence to release more radio waves.

Earlier, the DoT had signed an MoU with the Ministry of Defence as per which the defence shall release another 10 MHz 3G spectrum by June 2010.

The Ministry of Defence has already released 10 MHz for 3G auction. With DoT getting the approval from the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure earlier this month, DoT feels that the defence should look at releasing some more spectrum.

Asked if there would be any meeting scheduled to discuss this, the official said meetings are ongoing on a weekly basis. They have been informed of this and keeping the defence's convenience in mind, the minister has already announced that the allocation of spectrum to the auction winners will be in August only.

Earlier an inter-ministerial panel led by Finance Minister Pranab Kukherjee had decided that there would be four slots to be auctioned and spectrum allocation will be done simultaneously by August.