CBI places TRAI report on 2G spectrum valuation before SC

Report says retrospectively estimating annual value of spectrum in the 1800 MHz band for eight years between 2001 and 2008 is a tricky exercise at the best of times

PTI | September 7, 2011



The CBI on Tuesday placed before the Supreme Court the report of the TRAI which said it was not possible to predict with certainty the precise value of 2G spectrum that would have emerged in auction between 2001-08.

The report, which was placed before a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and H L Dattu, said it was a "tricky" exercise to estimate the annual value of spectrum for eight years.

The bench, which was hearing the bail pleas of two of the accused in the 2G spectrum scam, had yesterday said that it would like to go through the TRAI report after senior advocate Ram Jethmalani had submitted that telecom regulator in its report had given a finding that there was no loss in the allocation of spectrum.

The report said "retrospectively estimating annual value of spectrum in the 1800 MHz band for eight years between 2001 and 2008 is a tricky exercise at the best of times. Access to data is crucially important, but equally, if not more important is access to business plans and forecasts of service providers who invest in the market.

"We do not have access to the latter information and even the data that we have is inadequate, as documented in our report. We, therefore conduct the exercise of estimating market value of spectrum under severe data constraints and a changing technological environment".

Asked whether CBI's case becoming weak due to TRAI's report that there was no loss to the government due to spectrum allocation in 2008, TRAI Chairman J S Sarma said that "the experts have given the range of values but they could not arrive at any definitive figure."
 

Comments

 

Other News

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter