Telecom regulator Trai will seek the industry's view on timing of the next spectrum auction too, as part of its consultation process on sale of airwaves, Chairman RS Sharma has said.
This implies that the telecom industry will get a chance to give its opinion on the timeframe, especially because it has so far opposed an immediate sale of spectrum. Citing the weak financials of telcos, COAI has instead favoured a late 2018 or early 2019 timeline.
"We will be carrying out a consultative process as always to know the views of all the stakeholders, and it will include not only views about reserve prices - which Trai will be ultimately recommending - but also views about the timing and other issues," Sharma told the news agency in an interview.
Trai will then firm up its recommendation to the Government.
At this point, for Trai, to say whether or not time is suitable for an auction will be "premature", he pointed out.
The upcoming consultation will put "all the issues on the table", and after going through the consultation process, Trai will finalise its own recommendation to the Government.