The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is likely to seek the views of Goolam Essaji Vahanvati, the Attorney General of India, on the issue of 2G spectrum pricing for existing operators, according to news reports.
DoT plans to make it mandatory for incumbent operators to match the upcoming auction-determined price for the renewal of their existing 2G licences for the remaining period of their licences. The existing 2G licences will have to be renewed in 2013.
Prior to this, the Ministry of Law had declined to provide its views on the subject, on the grounds that the presidential reference on the 2G issue was pending.
However, the presidential reference did not broach the subject and its stand that only the executive could frame policies implied that the government would have to take a decision on the issue.
