News Details  :

Internet service providers (ISPs) in the country have sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the upcoming auctions for broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum.

The Internet Service Providers’ Association of India (ISPAI), in a recent letter to the prime minister, has sought his intervention in the delay in deployment of Internet telephony as well as setting the base price for auctions for BWA spectrum.

ISPAI has said the BWA which will primarily be used for data) has been mixed with 3G (mainly used for voice-based services) to benefit some players in the industry. The association has also opposed the reserve price – half that for 3G spectrum – per block of spectrum in each of the 22 circles in the country. “For category ‘A’ circles, the reserve price for BWA spectrum has been fixed at Rs 80 crore, while for ‘B’ and ‘C’ circles it is Rs 40 crore and Rs 15 crore, respectively.