The Telecom Commission has directed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to review its recommendations related to the upcoming spectrum auction. The move comes after a technical committee of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) raised objections to the regulator’s recommendations.

TRAI had recommended that the next round of auction be conducted only when adequate spectrum is available with DoT. To make fresh spectrum available for mobile services, TRAI suggested that the government direct defence forces to vacate spectrum in the 2100 MHz band. In addition, it had proposed that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) be asked to surrender 1.2 MHz of spectrum in the 900 MHz band.

However, the DoT panel rejected these proposals on grounds that while asking defence forces to vacate spectrum will entail significant time, asking BSNL to surrender airwaves may have legal implications. The committee has in turn stated that the auction scheduled for February 2015 should not be linked to the availability of fresh spectrum bands.