Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Finance, has asked Kapil Sibal, Minister of Telecommunications and IT, to consider rationalising the licence fee for spectrum allocated to operators in the future.
He has also asked Sibal to ensure transparency in spectrum allocation.
A note sent by Mukherjee to Sibal said, ?While there should be transparency in allocation of telecom spectrum, payment of high licence fees as in the recent auction of telecom spectrum has starved operators of funds for future investments. In view of this, although it is important to transparently auction the spectrum, a balanced and rational approach is required with regard to auctions and licence fee.?
Prior to this, Mukherjee had met top industry executives to understand their concerns.
The note also states that procedures should be simplified and the decision making process made faster. The note also raises the issue of providing broadband connectivity to every village.
