DoT has sought approval from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to raise 2G spectrum usage charges for all telecom operators.

DoT has sought approval from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to raise 2G spectrum usage charges for all telecom operators. It has asked for a 1 per cent increase in annual gross revenue for spectrum allocation up to 6.2 MHz for GSM players and 5 MHz for CDMA players, and a 2 per cent increase beyond these limits. Justifying the move, DoT has stated that over 60 per cent of the current revenue is provided by a spectrum range of up to 6.2 MHz as most players hold less than 6.2 MHz spectrum per circle. Accordingly, if this range is not included in the revision of spectrum usage charges, the overall contribution from the rate increase would be unfair. The Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) has also backed the proposal.