Union communications and IT minister A Raja on Friday said he will soon meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss issues related to allotting 3G spectrum - on which the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the department of telecommunications (DoT) have divergent views.TRAI has recommended that only licence holders of telecom services and not additional players be allowed to participate in the bidding process of 3G Spectrum. DoT, however, wants participation from new players be allowed. The department has argued that a high number of bidders will ensure that the government gets genuine value for spectrum in the auction. “I want to discuss the issue with the Prime Minister and finance minister whether participation of more players in 3G, which would fetch additional revenue for the government, be allowed or if we should go by TRAI’s recommendation,” said Raja.TRAI Chairman Nripendra Misra had also written a letter to finance secretary D Subbarao cautioning him over entry of foreign players in 3G. Raja said foreign players are allowed, but only in partnership with an Indian partner. “It is a question of whether to allow more players above the existing operators,” he added.
