By IANS,
New Delhi : The new policy for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) will be announced next month, Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura said here Monday. Under the policy, a telecom operator can buy airtime for mobile phones in bulk and retail it to subscribers.
“The policy for MVNO is being worked out and will be in place by next month,” Behura told reporters on the sidelines of a telecom conference here.
Under the MVNO model, an operator who does not have a telecom licence or infrastructure buys airtime in bulk from a licensed mobile network operator (MNO), and sells it to subscribers under its own brand.
The MVNO policy has been pending since last year, and it was feared that it would be further delayed on account of the uncertainty surrounding the auction of spectrum for third generation (3G) telecom services.
Regarding the upcoming 3G auction, Behura said the proposal was before the cabinet for approval. He, however, refused to comment on the finance ministry’s proposal that the base price be doubled, arguing that it was the cabinet that would have to take a decision in this regard.
Behura also refused to confirm whether the 3G auction would take place this fiscal.