COAI to approach PM against TRAI recommendations on spectrum auction

GSM industry body, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) yesterday said it would approach Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against recommendations made by telecom regulator Trai on spectrum auction. (See: TRAI proposes Rs3,622 crore reserve price for 2G spectrum auction)

COAI director general Rajan S Mathews said, the body would approach top decision makers in the country  - the prime minister, finance minister, telecom minister, and EGoM - who would be looking into the issue (spectrum auction).

He added the body would like to present its case in all these fora to ensure that these recommendations were not inconsistent with the government's policy.

He said that the association felt there was an inconsistency between government policy of affordability and reserve price recommended by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).   

Trai on Monday recommended Rs3,622 crore, as the base price for a megahertz of spectrum at pan-India level, which was around 10 times higher than the price for 2G licences in 2008 when A Raja was the telecom minister.

COAI and Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI), which represent CDMA and dual-licence holders, have said Trai's recommendations were " arbitrary, regressive and inconsistent".