Telecom Minister Discusses Spectrum Auction With Finance Minister

Advertisement
By Press Trust of India | Updated: 3 February 2015 17:25 IST
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad held a meeting with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to discuss the upcoming spectrum auction and using the revenue generated to meet government's fiscal deficit target for current fiscal.

The auction of the airwaves is scheduled for March 4.

Prasad met Jaitley on Monday and the ministers discussed the upcoming spectrum auction in the 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands, a source said.

They also discussed how the revenue generated from the auction can help in meeting the fiscal deficit target in the current financial year, the source added.

Advertisement

The two ministers also deliberated how the government should work on the next auction so that more revenue can be generated from the process, helping in meeting the fiscal deficit target for 2015-16 as well, the source said.

The government is committed to restricting the fiscal deficit at 4.1 percent of the GDP during the current fiscal, the lowest level in seven years, and has taken several steps towards it.

It had put in place a fiscal consolidation roadmap as per which the fiscal deficit has to be brought down to 3 percent of the GDP by 2016-17. To reduce the fiscal deficit to seven-year low, it has also announced a slew of austerity measures aimed at cutting non-plan spending by 10 percent.

Advertisement

The government expects to realise a minimum of Rs. 21,793 crores in this fiscal ending March from spectrum sale. In total, the government expects to realise at least Rs. 82,395 crores from the auction.

Besides, the expected auction of the remaining airwaves in the 2100MHz band can help the government meet the fiscal deficit target for 2015-16 fiscal.

Advertisement

According to sources, the combined proceeds from auction of all the four bands are estimated by the government at over Rs. 1,00,000 crore - making it the biggest ever spectrum sale.

Government has approved swapping of 15MHz of 3G spectrum between Defence and the Telecom Ministry. However, it will be able to provide it after completion of the harmonisation process.

Advertisement

The Telecom Ministry has proposed to exchange 15MHz spectrum it holds in 1900MHz band with same quantum of radiowaves held by Defence in 2100MHz. The Cabinet has asked ministries involved in the process to complete harmonisation within a year.

Last week, the government also held the biggest-ever disinvestment offer with 10 percent stake sale in Coal India, which fetched Rs. 22,557.3 crores.

 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Further reading: 3G, Dot, Spectrum Auction, Spectrum, Telecom
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Here's How Much the Vivo X200T Could Cost in India: See Expected Specs
  2. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Deals on Smartwatches Under Rs. 10,000
  3. Top Deals on Phones Under Rs. 50,000 During Amazon's Republic Day Sale
  4. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale Is Live: Best Offers Today
  5. Lava Blaze Duo 3 to Launch in India on This Date
  6. Top Deals on OnePlus Smartphones During the Amazon Great Republic Day Sale
  7. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Laptop Deals Under Rs. 40,000
  8. India Becomes World's Second Largest 5G Base with 400M+ Users
  9. OnePlus 15T Launch Timeline, Chipset Details Leaked
  10. Honor Magic 8 RSR Porsche Design Teased to Come With a Photography Kit
  1. Hypothetical ‘Dark Stars’ Could Rewrite Early Cosmic History, Research Suggests
  2. Honor Magic 8 Pro Air Key Features Confirmed; Company Teases External Lens for Honor Magic 8 RSR Porsche Design
  3. Lava Blaze Duo 3 India Launch Date Announced; Colour Options Teased Ahead of Debut
  4. Resident Evil Requiem Gets New Leon Gameplay at Resident Evil Showcase
  5. After ChatGPT Translate, Google Releases Multiple Open-Source Translation Models
  6. Realme Buds Clip India Launch Timeline Confirmed: Expected Specifications, Features
  7. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Might Have Spotted Hidden Supermassive Black Holes
  8. Tere Ishk Mein Reportedly Streams on OTT Soon: All You Need to Know About Dhanush and Kriti Sanon-Starrer
  9. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Laptop Deals Under Rs. 40,000
  10. OnePlus 15T Launch Timeline, Chipset Details Leaked: Expected Specifications, Features
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.