The five internal committees, established by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to oversee the upcoming spectrum auctions, have put the process on the fast track.
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The first committee has been set up to examine the regulator?s recommendations in this context and provide DoT with a detailed report on the same while the second is expected to supervise the auction process.
The third panel is to select the agency which will conduct the e-auction, while the fourth committee will examine whether the bidders are eligible to participate in the auction. Lastly, a committee of secretaries has been formed to approve the auction results.
It is believed that the committees have already begun discussions to chalk out a blueprint for the auction process, say news reports.
Meanwhile, an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) has also been formed for the same purpose.
In fact, DoT said it would ask this panel to take the final decision on all issues related to the auction.
The EGoM panel is to take a call on the annual spectrum charges and additional administrative charges, fee payable to the auctioneer, number of blocks of bandwidth to be sold and also if all incumbent and new players can be permitted to bid.
However, the EGoM will be able to do so only after the regulator firms up its recommendations on this subject. Thereafter, TRAI?s recommendations will be sent to the Telecom Commission for approval before being sent to the panel.
In so far, DoT has chalked out a nine-point agenda for the EGoM, which reportedly broadly outlines the quantum of spectrum to be auctioned, the reserve price and the mode of auction.
