Trai backs sale of all available spectrum; proposes lower entry barriers, 35 pc cap

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Tuesday recommended auctioning the entire available radiowave spectrum while proposing lower entry barriers for new players and a uniform 35 per cent spectrum cap to safeguard competition in the telecom sector.

While urging the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to reclaim spectrum held by telecom companies undergoing insolvency, Trai proposed halving the networth criteria for new entrants from Rs 100 crore to Rs 50 crore per licensed service area (and from Rs 50 crore to Rs 25 crore for Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast) to encourage more participation.