Mumbai: The department of telecommunications (DoT) informed Trai in a letter dated 10 February 2022 that it is proposed to allow sharing of all types of telecom infrastructure and network elements among all categories of service providers licenced under section 4 of the Indian telegraph act, 1885, for provision of authorised telecom services in order to promote optimum resource utilisation among licensees. Through the said letter, DoT sought Trai’s recommendations under section 11(1)(a) of Trai Act, 1997 (as amended) on this issue.

The issues relating to spectrum sharing and leasing have been discussed alongside the concerns relating to infrastructure sharing in light of the stakeholders' proposal to permit inter-band spectrum sharing and leasing.

In 2020, during the Trai’s consultation process on ‘methodology of applying spectrum usage charges (SUC) under the weighted average method of SUC assessment, in cases of spectrum sharing’, a few stakeholders had requested the authority that inter-band spectrum sharing as well as leasing of four spectrum should be permitted in the country.

Written comments on the issues raised in the consultation paper are invited from the stakeholders by 10 February 2023 and counter-comments by 24 February 2023.