DoT meets telcos, seeks views on rollout obligations

July 13, 2012 | Business | Written by

New Delhi, July 13: The Department of Telecom (DoT) which Friday met all the operators, discussed the issue of network rollout obligations and asked them to submit their views by Saturday.

“The EGoM wants that the operators cover 20 percent of block level headquarters by the end of second year and 30 percent by third year looking at the possibility of enhanced roll-out obligation,” a senior government official said.

“Operators have been asked to submit their views by tomorrow afternoon,” he added.

The issue figured at Thursday’s meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) which asked the DoT to look at the possibility of enhancing roll0ut obligation.

Many operators have been opposing the rollout conditions recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The EGoM approved “in principle” the proposal to allow telecom firms to mortgage spectrum to raise funds from banks in order to buy airwaves and is yet to meet again next week to take a call on reserve pricing and spectrum usage charge.

IANS