EGoM lifts cap on number of bids for upcoming spectrum auction
02 Feb 2013
The empowered committee of ministers (EGoM) has decided to remove the cap on the number of blocks that a company can bid in the upcoming spectrum auction, but has kept the 25 per cent cap on total spectrum and the 50 per cent cap on the spectrum being offered in a particular band.
''There is no cap other than policy restriction of 25 per cent and 50 per cent of the spectrum,'' telecom minister Kapil Sibal said in New Delhi on Friday.
The department of telecom (DoT) has made it clear in the notice inviting application (NIA) that a company cannot bid for more than 25 per cent of total spectrum on offer. Also no firm can bid for more than 50 per cent of the spectrum being offered in a particular band.
Under the previous spectrum auction held in November 2012, new operators were to bid for a minimum of four blocks of 1.25 MHz each and a maximum of five for GSM spectrum and a minimum of two and a maximum of three in case of CDMA spectrum.
With the restrictions on the number of bids removed, government expects better bidder participation in the spectrum sale due on 11 March.
"The whole agenda (of NIA) has been approved and we are now going ahead with the auction as proposed," Sibal said.
