New spectrum charges to be announced by next month: Raja

NEW DELHI: Telecom Minister A Raja today said new spectrum charges, which will be a one-time charge for the radio wave beyond 6.2 MHz, would be announced by the end of October. He said that the telecom ministry is in discussions with finance ministry and GSM operators to work out new charges for additional spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz.

The minister also said his ministry is also talking to finance ministry on the issue of relaxing borrowing norms for aspiring 3G spectrum bidders. COAI and AUSPI have written to the finance ministry for easing ECB norms to enable prospective 3G bidders to access funds, cost effectively.

On the Blackberry issue, Raja said, "While a solution is still being worked out, the services cannot be denied to the customers."