In an exclusive interaction with BNP Analysts, Mr. Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications said
3G auction is on schedule for 9 April 2010. The dispute between defence and telecom ministry over spectrum has been resolved and 3G rollout is expected 3-6 months after the auction. Expect consolidation within the telecom industry and finally VAS will be the next growth driver, not subscriber additions.
Ex-TRAI Chairman, Mr. Nripendra Misra said,
The spectrum crunch in the country was man-made and that there is sufficient spectrum available to meet the growth needs of the sector. There was a recommendation by TRAI during his tenure, that spectrum be delinked from the technology. In his opinion, the government seems keen to relax the M&A norms. The changes in M&A policy could be related to quantum of spectrum with merged entities, removal of 10% limit on cross-holding and process of approval by the competition commission.
I don’t know which lobby in the Indian Wireless has suppressed the recommendations of Mr. Misra – delinking spectrum from technology as this will enable bouquet of services choosing the best available technology in the Global market.