 "Final notification on unified licensing norms by April-end")
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is likely to issue the final notification on the unified licences (UL) guidelines by April-end. In the new UL regime, where telecom spectrum will be delinked from licences, operators will be permitted to offer various services such as mobile, landline, direct to home and cable TV by taking licences for the services they want to offer.
A DoT committee on UL has already been asked to submit its final recommendations on the draft guidelines by
April 15, according to a recent DoT discussion.
The matter would then be sent to the law ministry for vetting, said an official, requesting anonymity. DoT will notify them once the draft guidelines are vetted by the law ministry.
The DoT committee, which was constituted to prepare the unified licence document, has recommended two licences — Unified Licence (National) and Unified Licence (Service Area) — for the telecom operators.
Recently, communications and information technology minister Kapil Sibal had said the ministry would soon take a final decision on the UL regime in consultation with the law ministry. Sibal had also said the new licencing regime would ensure fair competition.
The new licences will have two main parts. The first part will contain seven chapters prescribing common terms and conditions applicable for all services.
The second part of guidelines will have details on the terms and conditions applicable for each service separately.
According to the recommendations of the DoT committee, the entry-level fee for the UL (National) or the network licence, will be one-time non-refundable Rs 15 crore. The net worth and equity requirement should be Rs 25 crore for an interested licensee.
Existing licencees will have to migrate to the new UL policy, as recommended by the committee.
The need for new licences was necessitated by the re-entry of operators, including the Indian unit of Norway’s Telenor and Videocon Industries after their licences were cancelled by a Supreme Court order in February last year. Both Telenor and Videocon won spectrum in the auction in November.
A DoT committee on UL has already been asked to submit its final recommendations on the draft guidelines by
April 15, according to a recent DoT discussion.
The matter would then be sent to the law ministry for vetting, said an official, requesting anonymity. DoT will notify them once the draft guidelines are vetted by the law ministry.
The DoT committee, which was constituted to prepare the unified licence document, has recommended two licences — Unified Licence (National) and Unified Licence (Service Area) — for the telecom operators.
Recently, communications and information technology minister Kapil Sibal had said the ministry would soon take a final decision on the UL regime in consultation with the law ministry. Sibal had also said the new licencing regime would ensure fair competition.
The new licences will have two main parts. The first part will contain seven chapters prescribing common terms and conditions applicable for all services.
The second part of guidelines will have details on the terms and conditions applicable for each service separately.
According to the recommendations of the DoT committee, the entry-level fee for the UL (National) or the network licence, will be one-time non-refundable Rs 15 crore. The net worth and equity requirement should be Rs 25 crore for an interested licensee.
Existing licencees will have to migrate to the new UL policy, as recommended by the committee.
The need for new licences was necessitated by the re-entry of operators, including the Indian unit of Norway’s Telenor and Videocon Industries after their licences were cancelled by a Supreme Court order in February last year. Both Telenor and Videocon won spectrum in the auction in November.