New Delhi: The government on Monday constituted an Empowered Group of Ministers to look into issues relating to spectrum for 3G telephony that will revolutionise the way data is received and transferred from mobile phones.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will head the EGoM that will include eight other members including Union Ministers P Chidambaram, Sharad Pawar, AK Antony, Veerappa Moily, A Raja, Ambika Soni and Prithviraj Chavan, besides Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Sigh Ahluwalia, official sources said.
Deciding the quantum of 3G spectrum to be auctioned, annual spectrum charges and additional administrative charge, number of operators in each telecom circle, the reserve price for 3G and broadband wireless services (WiMax) and the fee to be paid to the auctioneer are among the key terms of reference of the EGoM.
The government had last month decided to auction 3G spectrum at a reserve price of Rs 4,040 crore to at least six private operators besides state-owned MTNL and BSNL.
Raja had then maintained that no final decision had been taken and it would be either a Group of Ministers or the Cabinet that would take a call on the spectrum reserve price.
Initially, six private operators, apart from state-owned MTNL and BSNL, are expected to be allowed to offer 3G services that will enable high-speed internet, videos and many other value-added services on mobile phones by the end of the year.
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