Cabinet gives nod to new telecom policy

With the 2G spectrum scam still haunting the Congress-led government at the Centre, the Union Cabinet today approved the new telecom policy. The National Telecom Policy, 2012, has proposed to delink spectrum from licence. In the current regime, licence for telecom services comes clubbed with spectrum. But now mobile service operators will have to obtain the spectrum through an open competitive bidding.  

All about mobile spectrum

Whether it’s the high-profile 2G scandal or the Antrix-Devas deal, spectrum has been at the centre of both the controversies.  In the 2G case, former telecom minister A Raja gifted away 2G spectrum licences to nine telecom companies at very low rates. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) put down the loss to government in the deals at Rs 1.76 lakh crore. In the Antrix-Devas deal, Devas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd., constituted by former ISRO employees, entered into a contract with Antrix Corporation, ISRO’s commercial arm.