Telecom Bill to fast track allocation of spectrum in various sectors

The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) will now be able to better process requests for spectrum allotment from a long list of government agencies as the Telecom Bill has specified the sectoral uses for which such allocation is allowed, officials said on Thursday.

Apart from satellite communication, 18 other sectors have been listed in the First Schedule of the Bill where administrative allocation will be mandatorily made. In many of these areas, there was no clear process for allocating spectrum, which often led to a lengthy application and evaluation process and disputes.