Govt to release spectrum for business use

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the government was working towards freeing spectrum for commercial telecom services to facilitate growth and expansion of the sector.

"We are working towards the issue of releasing spectrum from government use so that the growth of the dynamic sector is not constrained by the shortage of this vital resource," Singh said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Bharti School of Telecommunication Technology and Management at the Indian Institute of Technology here.

On the issue of convergence, Singh said there was a need for a "forward-looking approach, based on an appreciation of changing technologies". "No policy can be effective if it is not in step with market and technological realities," he added.

"Most of the growth in the past had been in the urban areas. If we have to double the subscriber base in the next two years, we need to look at approaches which will enhance tele-density in rural areas to 10 or more if we are to have 250 million subscribers by the end of next year," he added.