Tel Comm defers decision on IMG proposals, to meet in 2 weeks

The Telecom Commission today put off a decision on measures to provide relief to the stressed industry as it sought more details on some of the suggestions, including deferred spectrum payment liability, from the inter-ministerial group, according to a senior official.

The IMG is expected to revert with details on the clarifications sought "at the earliest", and the Telecom Commission will meet again in two weeks on the inter- ministerial group's proposals aimed at tackling the financial stress in the sector.

The commission, the highest policy-making body in the telecom sector, met here today to consider all the proposals put forth by the IMG.

The official, who did not wish to be named, said the Telecom Commission (TC) has sought additional clarifications from the inter-ministerial group (IMG) on two of the major recommendations. These pertain to giving telcos more time to pay for the spectrum they had bought and switching from PLR based to MCLR based rate for penalty payments.

The TC was in-principle broadly agreeable to other suggestions of the IMG, including referring to Trai the issue of removal of 50 per cent spectrum cap within a particular radiowave band -- for mergers and acquisitions.

"On the issue of spectrum cap, it was decided that it will be referred to Trai. But it is not yet approved per se, as the proposals will get activated when the next Telecom Commission meeting takes place," the source said, adding that "holistic view" on the entire report will be taken in the next meeting once the clarifications sought, come in.

After the TC takes a call, the proposals will be placed before the Cabinet for approval as these entail changes in the spectrum auction document.

When contacted, mobile industry body COAI's Director- General Rajan Mathews said he was hopeful that the TC will consider some other "permanent fixes" such as cut in licence fee and spectrum usage charges.

"It is better not to hurry this up and to get it right," he told

(This article has not been edited by Zeebiz editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)