India’s Department of Telecom (DoT) expects the Defence Ministry to release 150MHz of spectrum in the 1.7 to 2GHz bands in three months, in the first phase of its spectrum harmonisation plan.

The frequencies will be freed up for mobile services in six or seven regions or circles, Economic Times reported. The country has 22 telecoms circles.

The harmonisation plan, which was approved by the cabinet a year ago, called for all government ministries to identify spectrum that can be vacated for commercial use by January 2016.

Back in 2009, the Defence Ministry agreed to free up half of  its spectrum in the 1.7 to 2GHz bands in exchange for DoT creating an exclusive communications network for the military.