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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is likely to give its recommendations on spectrum sharing within the next few days, according to two top executives with leading telecom operators, who had met Trai chairman Rahul Khullar on Monday.
"There are high chances that Trai will issue recommendations on spectrum-sharing later this week or early next week," said one of the executives.
In the Economic Survey, the government has noted the need for better policies, such as allowing trading and sharing of spectrum, to bring down the cost of radio waves used for providing mobile communication. The government has, in principle, allowed sharing of spectrum purchased at market rate through auction to increase efficient utilisation of the scarce natural resource. However, it has not agreed to share 3G spectrum.
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Earlier, an internal panel of the department of telecommunications had suggested that sharing of 3G spectrum be allowed.
Trai suo-motu started a process to come out with recommendations on guidelines for spectrum sharing. After Trai gives its recommendations, the Telecom Commission - the highest decision-making authority at the DoT - will look into the regulator's suggestions in detail.
