TC meets tomorrow on spectrum sharing, trading norms

Inter-ministerial panel Telecom Commission (TC) will meet tomorrow to discuss spectrum sharing and trading guidelines.
The meeting of the panel, the highest decision-making body of the Department of Telecom (DoT), was earlier scheduled on April 29.
According to sources, the panel is likely to send back the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommendations as the DoT and the regulator are not on the same page on certain aspects.
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad discussed in detail the framework for spectrum sharing and trading with senior officials of DoT today and yesterday.
"The TC is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss spectrum sharing and trading guidelines. The Trai recommendations have been discussed and there are certain issues which need more information," a source said.

Prasad is believed to have instructed officials to examine Trai recommendations keeping in view the present and future market potential of the telecom sector.

The minister had earlier announced that the guidelines will be brought out shortly.
Spectrum sharing will allow telecom companies to share their unutilised airwaves with other service providers in the same telecom circle.
Trai last year had recommended sharing of all categories of telecom airwaves held by operators, including spectrum allocated at old price of Rs 1,658 crore or assigned without auction.
The regulator had also recommended trading of spectrum.
At present, the government allocates spectrum to telecom firms through auctions only.

Once trading is allowed, it will lead to efficient use of radiowaves by enabling telecom operators that have a lower subscriber base or unutilised spectrum to trade in it.