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The regulator`s proposals have to be approved by the telecoms ministry to become law

INDIA’S Telecom Commission will meet again next Friday (December 9) to discuss proposals from the country`s telecoms regulator on pricing of second-generation spectrum and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the sector, a senior government official said.

"We have not frozen on anything yet," R. Chandrashekhar, the top bureaucrat in the telecoms ministry, said after a meeting of the commission, the highest decision-making body within the ministry.

Chandrashekhar added that the commission was hopeful of completing discussions when it meets on December 9 but would not ‘rush in’ to a decision.

Last month, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India proposed a relaxation of rules for M&A in the telecoms sector in a move to facilitate a long-awaited consolidation in the 15-player market, among other recommendations.

Earlier this year, the regulator proposed steep increases in spectrum prices and a one-time fee on spectrum beyond 6.2 megahertz, drawing howls of protest from firms.

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