New Delhi: Tele-communication companies like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea on Tuesday participated in the pre-bid conference for spectrum auctions, as the telecom department asked the companies to submit written queries regarding the rules and processes by January 15, according to sources. During the pre-bid conference, operators raised queries on aspects such as earnest money deposit and roll-out obligations in the bid document, an industry source said.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) sources said telcos, including Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea, attended the pre-bid conference on Tuesday. The department has now asked the operators to send their written queries on the issues raised at the pre-bid conference by January 15.

The DoT has already released a notice inviting applications for the spectrum auctions in seven bands -- 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300 and 2500MHz bands, and the bidding is scheduled to begin on March 1.

Last month, the Union Cabinet had approved a proposal for the auction of 2,251.25 Megahertz (MHz) of spectrum worth Rs 3.92 lakh crore at the base price. Telecom operators will need to submit their application by February 5 for participation in the auction.

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