Cross connection

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) received as many as 356 queries on a notice inviting application (NIA) document for the coming auction of spectrum in the 800, 900, 1,800 and 2,100-MHz bands. The auction is crucial for telcos, especially those that have their mobile licences coming up for renewal in December this year. Also, it is important to acquire spectrum in the 2,100-MHz band because it is used mainly for data services, which is hailed as the next big thing in telecom in India. However, the DoT has sent a terse response to most of these queries - that the NIA was self-explanatory and there were no changes in the conditions - leaving telecom operators more confused than ever.