Telecom Commission has concurred with sectoral regulator TRAI’s suggestion to raise spectrum holding limit of mobile operators which will ease the exit route for operators under stress. Last month, the TRAI had recommended that the ceiling on spectrum held by mobile operators within a particular band should be removed.
It suggested a 50 per cent cap on combined radiowave holding in efficient bands. As per the current rules, no mobile service provider can hold more than 25 per cent spectrum in an area and more than 50 per cent in a frequency band.
Source said the Department of Telecom will send drafts of the relief package cleared by the Telecom Commission based on the recommendations of an inter- ministerial panel to Cabinet this week for final approval.
Based on the IMG recommendation, the Commission has approved extension of time period for the payment of spectrum bought in auctions by operators to 16 years from the current 10 years. It had also approved the IMG recommendation to lower the interest rate on penalties paid by telecom operators by about 2 per cent.