Telecom minister Kapil Sibal today said telecom sector problems have stemmed from mismanagement of spectrum.

Spectrum engineering and management are at the heart of efficient use of a resource, he said, adding the problems faced by the sector were "reflection of the way the private sector has not managed the resource and the way public sector has not framed policies for managing the resource."

The minister was laying the foundation stone for government-run National Institute of Communication and Finance and Advance Radio Spectrum Engineering and Management Studies (IARSEMS).

"We are lucky that natural resource (spectrum) with us can not be traded away, but we have to manage it efficiently to reach across masses", he said while laying emphasis on efficient use of the spectrum.

"It is the resource that connects Delhi to North East, Delhi to rural areas, bridges gap between marginalised and empowered," he said.

Further, the minister said that the upcoming government institutions would set benchmarks for communication finance accounting and spectrum management by producing highly trained officers.

"High quality human resource is at the heart of all development process. In its absence, you can not take up development of sector," Sibal said.

Minister of state for IT and communications Sachin Pilot, who was also present at the occasion, called the setting up of institutes as an important step for the development of telecom sector.

"The way we witnessed telecom revolution in the country and progress of private players, we feel that our officers in various departments also need a platform for getting training to keep pace with the sector and have better understanding of new technology," Pilot said.

NICF will serve as a national level training and research centre for telecom policies, planning and licencing, postal accounts, finance and internal audit and related subjects.

IARSEMS will cater to training needs of officers related to spectrum management and engineering for its efficient use.