According to a report by The Financial Times, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman Pradip Baijal, said that telecom providers in rural areas should be granted free spectrum in order to increase teledensity in rural areas, which currently stands at 1.55%.

"TRAI is working on similar lines and would come out with a consultation paper on spectrum policy in a day or two," Mr Baijal said.

Baijal believes that free spectrum would be the best way to make rural telephony affordable and increase the network coverage area from the present 20% up to 75% of India’s land area, he added.

Intelecon Research & Consultancy Ltd. 19/10/2004