The Department of Telecom has cleared spectrum allocation for US chipmaker Qualcomm with riders.
The spectrum will be given for 18 and half years and roll-out obligation will have to be completed within three and half years.
The original licence was for a 20-year period and the roll-out obligation was to be completed over five years. But since the company's licence could not be issued in 2010, along with other broadband players, the tenure has been reduced to keep the playing field level, according to DoT sources.
However, Qualcomm has been saying that the delay was on the Department's part. The company could challenge the reduced tenure in court given that it had told the Telecom Ministry that there was no case for penalising it.
The US chipmaker had written to the Telecom Minister, Mr Kapil Sibal, in this regard and had said that it will accept the broadband spectrum without prejudice.