The Telecom Commission has recommended raising reserve price for auction of pan-India mobile phone spectrum, which is 15 per cent more than the one
suggested by the telecom regulator, and 25 per cent higher in case of key circles like Delhi and Mumbai.
However, the rates recommended by the commission will still be lower than the previous auction price.
The Telecom Commission at its meeting on Wednesday recommended to an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) that reserve price for
pan-India 1800 MHz spectrum be fixed 15 per cent higher than that suggested by the
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). The same for 900 MHz be fixed 25 per cent higher than what Trai had recommended.
The new base price per mega hertz (MHz) in 1800 band for Delhi has been suggested at Rs 218.90 crore, Mumbai Rs 206.74 crore and Kolkata Rs 73.13 crore, which is 25 per cent higher than the base price recommended by Trai.
The regulator had recommended Rs 175.12 crore for Delhi, Rs 165.39 crore for Mumbai and Rs 58.50 crore for Kolkata as the reserve price.
Similarly for 900 Mhz spectrum, the base price per MHz will be Rs 359.65 crore for Delhi, Rs 327.50 crore for Mumbai and Rs 125.27 crore for Kolkata.
Trai had recommended Rs 287.72 crore for Delhi, Rs 262 crore for Mumbai and Rs 100.22 crore for Kolkata as the per Mhz price in 900 band.
The Telecom Commission, the highest decision making body of Department of Telecom (DoT) decided that the value of spectrum be set as the reserve price for the three metro and five category A circles.
It, however, approved the base price set by Trai for the remaining 14 circles.
As a result, the base price will increase by about 25 per cent in the eight circles and the pan-India price will be up by 15 per cent.
Sources said the Commission has also approved the mergers & acquisition (M&A) policy, allowing mergers with a combined market share of up to 50 per cent. This would replace the cap of 35 per cent market share of the combined entity currently in vogue.
PHOTO: Reuters 
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