How do mobile companies and government plan to end the spectrum row?
India’s key mobile operators and the government are attempting a solution to the spectrum imbroglio, which includes accepting the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s recommendation on hiking the minimum subscriber base norms for additional allocation of spectrum. In return, private GSM operators like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar would not be asked to return the excess additional spectrum that they have received over the years beyond their contractual agreement under the licence (which is 6.2 MHz for GSM and 5 MHz for CDMA operators). The operators are also willing to accept auction of second generation spectrum beyond what has been contracted. According to them, they are allowed to have spectrum up to 10 Mhz.
