NEW DELHI: The country’s largest telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea on Thursday said mobile tariffs could nearly double in the metros and large circles if the regulator’s recommendations on spectrum auction and allocation were accepted in their current form, even as a fresh row erupted between players using GSM technology and dual technology players.“Based on the calculation and reality that me and my colleagues have, the figures and facts suggest that the implication of this change can be anywhere as high as 100% of the existing rate ... to be actually compensated by customer. This will vary from circle to circle,” Bharti Airtel CEO Sanjay Kapoor, who also heads the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) told a press conference. The GSM lobby group, however, said that the smaller and less profitable circles could a see a more modest increase of 15-20%. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has, however, said that the tariff increase would be marginal.Besides, COAI sought to suggest that Trai has been changing its stance for the last few months and has gone beyond the mandate given by the Supreme Court, which had ordered the cancellation of 122 2G licences awarded by A Raja in 2008.“In May 2010, the regulator came out to set 2G prices in line with 3G prices as basic minimum bidding price. In May 2010, we heard that 900 (Mhz) band should be 1.5 times of 1800 Mhz ... now in April 2012, it should be two times. We are confused ... which methodology is right,” Kapoor said. In addition, the industry group said the exchequer could lose as much as Rs 30,000 crore revenue as the existing fee for using spectrum is “discriminatory”.COAI is also complaining about high cost that operators would have to incur if Trai’s proposal for ‘refarming’ of spectrum goes through. The regulator has suggested that operators with spectrum in the 900 MHz band get airwaves in the 1800 MHz segment, which telecom companies say will require them to more than double the existing infrastructure.Although all telecom operators had initially joined hands to oppose Trai’s recommendation, the bonhomie now seems to be over. COAI on Thursday alleged that the proposals may favour dual-technology players, a charge that was refuted by the Association of Unified Service Providers of India, the rival industry body.“The Supreme Court order dated 2nd Feb 2012 clearly observed all decisions taken during September 2007-March 2008 to be arbitrary, rendering them illegal. In spite of this order, while declaring the available spectrum for auction, Trai has not included the GSM spectrum (1800 MHz) wrongfully allocated to the dual technology operators, without a public auction ...,” COAI said.“The very decision on part of the regulator has resulted in further narrowing the spectrum available for auction and demonstrates discrimination and injustice towards the GSM players,” it added.