The Department of telecommunications (DoT) will set up an internal committee to look into the concerns of operators about the latest recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that cover a host of issues including corporate restructuring and spectrum pricing.
The panel will be headed by member (technology) of the Telecom Commission, officials said after Communications Minister A. Raja met representatives of telecom companies.
The regulator has recommended to the government that all telecom service providers should pay a one-time fee for the excess spectrum they hold beyond 6.4 MHz. TRAI also made recommendations on other issues like merger and acquisition norms, renewal of licences and roll-out obligations in expanding telecom networks.
The chairmen of government-controlled Mahangar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) were present at the meeting.
Established GSM telecom service providers and new operators such as Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices are at loggerheads on TRAI recommendations. Firms such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone want to avoid a one-time fee for GSM spectrum.