Ficci Takes Up Cause Of Telecom Cos With Trai

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) will take up the cause of telecom companies with the telecom regulator. The telecom companies are worried about the recommendations on 2G spectrum made recently by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

Come Thursday, Trai would hold a meeting with the operators that is being described as a “grievances session” by the telecom companies. A team led by Ficci along with members from the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and the Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI) will hold a closed door meeting with senior Trai officials.

Sources in Trai said Ficci President Rajan Bharti Mittal, who is also the Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises and a Director and member on Bharti Airtel board, is leading the team. Ficci's official spokespersons, when contacted, did not confirm or deny his participation in the meeting.

The meeting has been proposed by Ficci, to thrash out the issue of Trai's recommendations on 2G spectrum. Some of the companies would have to shell out huge amounts of money for the additional spectrum they hold. These include companies like Bharti Airtel and those who are yet to get spectrum despite being ahead in the queue, like Tata Teleservice Ltd, if the recommendations are accepted by the government.

Over the last few days, letters have been shot off by operators to the government seeking partial acceptance of the recommendations. Trai too shot off letters to the government seeking to clarify its position and on Tuesday has again written that the operators are unduly worried. It has pointed out that the regulator was still examining the issues like payment of 3G prices for the additional 2G spectrum beyond mandated by the government, fixed by the regulator.

In his letter, Trai Chairman J S Sarma has requested the government to hold back a final decision on two of its recommendation till it gives a final suggestion. Trai had suggested that 3G price be adopted as ‘current price’ of spectrum in the 1800 megahertz band and that refarming of 800/900 MHz spectrum should be examined. But in the same breath, Sarma has also said that Trai was initiating a separate discussion on both the issues and these findings would be submitted to the government. Till then, it has urged the government not to take any decision on these two.

On the other issues, the regulator reiterated that all other recommendations are integral recommendations. If DoT has any difference of opinion on any of these recommendations, that can be referred back to the regulator, before the Department of Telecom takes any decision.