AUSPI seeks probe on spectrum issue

TELECOM TANGLE

The Association of United Service Providers of India (AUSPI), apex body of CDMA operators in the country, has written a letter to the telecom minister asking the government to look into spectrum allocation to GSM operators in the country.

AUSPI had earlier alleged that GSM operators were given spectrum "way beyond their licence conditions".

In the letter mailed today, AUSPI secretary general S C Khanna asked the ministry to look into "how and why spectrum was allocated to GSM operators beyond the mandated 4.4 + 4.4 MHz".

The association has asked the government to look into the criteria for additional spectrum allocation to GSM players from 1995 onwards till 2002. Most importantly, it also wanted the government to gauge the losses incurred by "not charging one-time entry fee" for additional spectrum.

The AUSPI has also accused the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) of presenting "misleading and incorrect picture relating to spectrum charges in their desperate attempt to justify the unauthorised allocation of spectrum beyond what was mandated in their licence agreement".

The association has also alleges that the "COAI, by quoting different provisions of the license relating to spectrum charges and subscriber base criteria, is trying to establish that the licence entitles them to get spectrum beyond the contracted amount. This too without paying any additional upfront charges."

These are against GSM industry's claim that they were paying high usage charges for spectrum.

According to GSM industry, Rs 1,800 crore has already been paid for spectrum, while over the next three years the COAI estimates that its members would pay an additional Rs 10,000 crore to the government. Of Rs 10,000 crore, Rs 6,000 crore is for incremental spectrum charges over and above the 2 per cent basic charge.