The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is financially backing the sector regulator Trai’s opinion that GSM operators with 4.4 MHz of start-up spectrum should be given the highest priority when additional frequencies will be allocated. If this happens, then it will come as a bonanza for Reliance Communications, which has start-up spectrum all over the country and is now looking to get 1.8 MHz more after it has met the subscriber criterion.

Meanwhile, if this happens, relatively newer operators like Tata Teleservices, Uninor, Loop Telecom and Datacom, which have still not received a start-up spectrum in Delhi and several other circles, will be negatively affected.

CDMA companies Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices that had started offering GSM mobile services from 2007 itself under the government’s dual-technology policy that year will not be affected.

According to the proposal, highest priority will be given to operators who already have a start-up spectrum allocated to them, but are now in need of more. The next priority will be given to operators who want more than the contracted 6.2 MHz and the least priority will be given to those who still don’t have their entire start-up spectrum.

Some Operators have largely opposed this priority listing.