Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited will not participate in CDMA spectrum auction Telecom operator Sistem Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL), which operates in India under MTS, will not be participating in the upcoming spectrum auctions due to high reserve price and other issues which are still to be resolved by the department of telecommunications in March 2013, reports Press Trust of India. SSTL maintained that the pricing of 800Mhz spectrum at Rs 3,646 crore per MHz, is way out of line and does not merit a strong business case for buying additional spectrum in the upcoming auction. SSTL was the only applicant in the 800 MHz band, has secured spectrum in eight telecom circles in the 800 MHz band for Rs 3,639 crore in the March 2013 auctions and there were no participants in the November 2012 CDMA spectrum auctions. Sistema argues that since it was sole bidder during the CDMA auction and there is no other successful operator for rearrangement of frequencies, the DoT will have to rearrange or reassign the frequency to make the spectrum allotted to SSTL contiguous. SSTL also contends that allocation of spectrum in non-contiguous manner reduces the efficiency of spectrum and poses hindrance to the adoption of latest technologies.The telecom tribunal TDSAT has admitted the petition and issued notice to DoT. The matter is listed for hearing on February 18. Lack of spectrum not an excuse for call drops: telecom minister Union minister for telecom Ravi Shankar Prasad chided telecom operators and said that lack of spectrum was no excuse for call drops, according to…
