New Delhi: Telecom Minister A Raja stated that the fresh spectrum allocation norms declared last week were unsettled and the administration will execute the fresh plan only after a scientific appraisal by the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC).

Mr. Raja said that the subsisting operators, fresh appliers and license holders will not be allotted any spectrum by the administration before submission of the TEC statement.

The TEC, DoT’s technical division will put forward its report on October 30, 2007.

In its announcement during last week, DoT sounded out that the norms for existing subscriber-linked range were being heightened.

The announcement entails that the subsisting operators would have to bring up their subscriber base between two to six times before they are allotted added spectrum. This whole process would take around 18-48 months. GSM operators have already moved the telecommunication tribunal challenging these conditions.

Mr. Raja said, “Till the report from the Telecom Engineering Centre arrives, no spectrum will be allotted.”

Asked on the fate of the 550 plus recent applicants looking for new telecommunication licences, Mr. Raja told that the DoT had brought up the issue to the law ministry to obtain the solicitor general’s opinions on this matter.

“There is scarcity of spectrum. The number of new applicants is more than the number that can be accommodated. The new applications must be synchronised by a legal process,” Mr. Raja added.

On the GSM operators claims that the DoT had acted speedily to allow the utilization of dual technology, to favor one operator, Mr. Raja said, “After receiving the recommendations on this issue from TRAI, the matter was referred to the Telecom Commission.”

The Commission had accepted TRAI’s suggestions on the use of dual technologies under the same licence.

The subject of raising the subscriber-linked standards has been referred to TEC for further assessment. The fresh plan didn’t favour any operator, he added.