Telecom Lead India: The Cellular Operators Association of
India (COAI) has accused the telecom regulator of blatantly ignoring industry representations
on spectrum pricing and auction.
COAI said it is shocked and aghast at the TRAI’s
continued indifference towards the industry’s plea for consumer interest and
unsustainability of this sector.
Rajan S Mathews, director general, COAI has termed TRAI’s
move as a definite death knell for the sector.
COAI said that it vehemently rejects the flawed and
biased recommendations put forth by TRAI and disapproves of the discriminatory
environment between dual technology operators and GSM Operators and the
subsequent violations of the level playing field.
The telecom operators’ body said that TRAI in its
response to DoT on the clarifications sought on the recommended reserve price
for auction of spectrum has further increased the burden on the sector.
In an official statement, COAI said that the
recommendations of TRAI will have serious public interest and public policy
impacts and hence would be critically detrimental to the interests of the
consumers and the nation and would inadvertently mark the nail in the coffin
for the already struggling industry.
It is also alarming that in spite of the concern
expressed by COAI on -Refarming’ that would lead to Destruction of Capital and
Forced Obsolescence of Infrastructure the Authority has refused to address the
issue and maintained its earlier position,” the statement reads.
COAI alleges that the recommendations apparently seem to
be resolute towards favoring a few dual technology operators.
Trai reduces reserve price for CDMA, no change in stand on 2G
auctions
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (Trai) reaffirmed most of its proposed rules for an auction of
mobile airwaves. The rules also include tenfold increase in base price
for bids, despite protests by carriers in the world’s second-biggest mobile
phone market.
Telecom industry body GSMA urges Govt to use international best
practice
The GSMA urged the country’s leadership to reject
short-termism and embrace international best practice. India was recently
predicted to be the second largest-mobile broadband market in the world by
2016, a prospect which is now in jeopardy.
editor@telecomlead.com