The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has cleared the applications submitted by eight operators for the upcoming spectrum auction. However, the department has restricted Vodafone India and Reliance Communications (RCOM) from bidding for pan India spectrum. While Vodafone India cannot bid for seven circles, RCOM cannot bid for eight circles. Meanwhile, Tata Teleservices Limited cannot bid for spectrum in the Delhi circle.
Other players including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, Idea Cellular, Aircel and Telewings Communications have been allowed to bid for spectrum in any circle across the country.
Following the scrutiny of applications, DoT has disallowed RCOM to bid for spectrum in the eight circles where it operates GSM services through a subsidiary Reliance Telecom. These circles are Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Kolkata, Madhya Pradesh, North East, Orissa and West Bengal. Vodafone India cannot bid in circles including Assam, North East, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.
