Govt must get its mathematics right: Mittal

ACROSS THE SPECTRUM

Mobile operator Bharti Airtel Ltd today stepped up pressure on the government for reviewing the spectrum allocation norms, hitting out at the way the telecom ministry calculated the parameters for giving the airwaves.

"The government must put its mathematics right... Ignorance is not an excuse to change the norms," Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal told reporters on the sidelines of the India-EU Business Summit.

Private GSM mobile players such as Airtel have opposed the spectrum allocation norms as recommended by the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) and do not want new players to be issued licences in absence of assured frequency.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the lobby of GSM players, has already petitioned the telecom tribunal TDSAT challenging the government's decision to allow dual technology for mobile services and also spectrum allocation norms as suggested by Trai.

Mittal also said that the current stalemate over spectrum would hurt investors' confidence. "Foreign investment has played a key role in the growth of telecom sector and they (foreign investors) are a worried lot," he said.

The government has constituted a panel to review the TEC report which suggested 2-15 times more subscriber base to be eligible for getting additional spectrum.

Mittal said he and other players had made presentations to the committee headed by DoT additional secretary and a final outcome from the committee was awaited.

The committee held discussions with the officials of GSM and CDMA operators for the first time on Monday.

On the issue of stake sale in his tower company, Mittal said: "We are open to the idea of selling stake". He, however, declined to elaborate.