Idea Cellular, Vodafone India, Bharti Airtel and Aircel have requested the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to conduct a pre-bid conference for issues related to 3G spectrum to be put up for sale in the forthcoming spectrum auctions. The operators are of the view that owing to lack of information pertaining to the 2100 MHz spectrum in the recently released notice inviting applications (NIA), another pre-bid conference needs to be conducted.
Meanwhile, operators have raised the issue of increase in earnest money deposit (EMD), which is deposited for participating in auctions. According to Reliance Communications (RCOM), EMD should be around 2-3 per cent, but as per the NIA, EMD is demarcated up to 55 per cent in few circles. The company is of the view that the higher EMD may deter operators from participating in the upcoming auctions.
Meanwhile, Aircel, Uninor and Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) have raised the issue of lock-in period of three years being applied to operators that have participated in previous auctions. They are of the view that lock-in period should be applied only to new entrants.
TTSL also expressed concerns over the mechanism to be implemented acquiring contiguous spectrum in the 800 MHz band. As per the NIA, the winner of the CDMA spectrum can choose a spectrum block to make it contiguous with spectrum won in March 2013 auctions but will need to pay a differential price for the spectrum. The operator is of the view that a similar rule should be applied for buying contiguous spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands.
