Decision on spectrum pricing in 3 weeks: Kapil Sibal

The auction, he said, will be completed before March-end.

The Supreme Court yesterday allowed mobile phone operators, whose permits were due to be revoked this week as per an earlier court order, to continue service until it hears the case next on February 4.

It asked the government to explain the price these companies will have to pay for spectrum usage since cancellation of their licenses in February last year.

The Department of Telecommunications had urged the court to allow companies to operate until the next airwave auction.

Sibal termed the Apex Court order as "positive" and said all the spectrum pricing issues will be decided before February 4, when the apex court will again hear the matter.

"I think it's a positive sign and I am sure that just as the previous auction process was completed without any problem the new auctions will also be completed within the time-frame and before the end of March," Sibal told reporters here.

An Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram had last week recommended reducing minimum price for sale of spectrum used by CDMA mobile operators and the unsold airwaves of first round by up to 50 per cent.

The government is likely to raise Rs 45,000 crore from the second round of spectrum sale that is

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