The Draft National Telecom Policy 2011 aimed at bringing more transparency and quick-decision-making in the telecom sector will be unveiled on Monday. The new policy to be launched by Communication and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal is likely to focus on delinking the award of telecom operator licenses from allocation of airwaves.

According to official sources, the draft policy also calls for allocating spectrum at a price determined through market-related processes. Under the new draft policy, roaming charges across the country are also likely to be removed to facilitate nation-wide free roaming. The government is looking to develop a

strong, vibrant and secure telecommunication network to provide seamless coverage with a special focus on rural and remote areas. The previous telecom policy was unveiled in 1999 when the number of phone subscribers in the country was a just a couple of million. The number has increased to nearly 900 million since then.