Date:14/09/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/09/14/stories/2005091401400400.htm

Back CDMA players want GSM spectrum to be halved

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Sept. 13

THE Association of Unified Service Providers of India has said that spectrum allocation to GSM operators should be halved from 10 Mhz to 5 Mhz to maintain a level playing field with CDMA based operators.

In a strongly worded letter to Mr J.S. Sarma, Secretary, Department of Telecom, the CDMA operators said the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represented the GSM operators was `misleading' the Government by saying that they were paying double the spectrum charges. COAI had made a presentation to the Union Communications Minister, Mr Dayanidhi Maran, on September 6 claiming that while GSM operators paid 4 per cent of the annual revenues as spectrum charges, CDMA operators were paying only 2 per cent.

"However, COAI also admits that they have twice the spectrum for the same subscriber base as compared to CDMA operators. Spectrum charges have always been fixed for a particular quantum of spectrum. This is the Government policy and clearly mentioned in the relevant order," AUSPI said.