DoT looking to extend shut down deadline

Sector regulator the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has approached the Supreme Court for an extension to the 18 January deadline for shutting down cellcos whose licences were cancelled in February last year, the Economic Times reports. The watchdog is aiming to buy time to hold a second spectrum auction in March, potentially allowing Russia’s Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL) to continue operating and granting other providers another opportunity to purchase frequencies in the circles where they did not win spectrum in November. Earlier this week the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) opted to launch a tender for the remaining 800MHz, 900MHz and 1800MHz frequencies from 11 March, whilst cutting the reserve price on CDMA spectrum by up to 50%.