‘Exclusion of CDMA auction to hit telcos with dual-tech’

New Delhi: CDMA lobby group Auspi has written to the government that dual technology telecom providers like Reliance Communications (RCOM) and Tata Tele will suffer "irreparable harm" due to the absence of auctions in the 800 MHz space along with the sale of 2G airwaves in January. It has suggested that the telecom ministry should work out a pricing for CDMA airwave sale in the wake of Trai's refusal to do so.      Regulator Trai has been steadfast in its recommendations that there should be no sale in the CDMA spectrum band (800 MHz) during the upcoming auctions, despite being asked by the Department of Telecom (DoT) and the Telecom Commission to arrive at a pricing for the non-GSM band.      "Auspi is deeply concerned that 800 MHz spectrum band auction has been delinked and a separate auction is scheduled for 900 and 1,800 MHz (GSM) spectrum bands in January... Our members are dual-technology operators and require both CDMA and GSM spectrum," secretary general Ashok Sud said in a letter written to telecom secretary M F Farooqui. "The decision to de-link auction would be discriminatory and cause irreparable harm to our members," said the letter, which was also marked to members of the Empowered Group of Ministers on Telecom, including finance minister P Chidambaram.      DoT has already written to Trai that it needs to comply with the government's directions regarding CDMA auctions in accordance with Section 25 of the Trai Act. The provision speaks about the government's power to issue directions to Trai and says the regulator will be "bound by such directions on questions of policy as the central government may give in writing to it from time to time".