Date:04/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/04/stories/2006010403310400.htm

Back DoT admits to lapses in spectrum allocation — Working on new policy to plug loopholes

Thomas K. Thomas

The government is also looking at creating a Defence Band for specific use by the armed forces.

New Delhi , Jan. 3

THE Department of Telecom (DoT) has admitted to lack of planning while allocating spectrum to telecom service providers in the past.

The admission, made in a presentation by the DoT, comes even as the telecom industry is facing an acute shortage of radio frequency across the country, as the government cannot find enough spectrum for fresh allocation.

Senior DoT officials told Business Line, "The problem is that over a period of time we have allocated spectrum in different bands, depending on the need of the situation and perhaps one did not realise that one would require spectrum in a very cogent manner. Spectrum was being treated as if it were available and now we are having a situation where different radio frequency bands are being occupied by different people. We can say that spectrum planning has not been good."

The DoT is working on a fresh spectrum policy, which aimed at allocating frequency bands to a particular type of user in one place.

"We have given away spectrum as and when anyone asked at different places in different bands whereas in the case of other developed countries they have developed their standards in such a way that it did not interfere with the needs of divergent users," said a DoT presentation. The government is also looking at creating a Defence Band for specific use by the armed forces.

At present, mobile operators in the country use the 1800 Mhz, 800 Mhz and the 900 Mhz band for offering services. These frequency bands are also being used by the Defence agencies, making it difficult for the DoT to release additional spectrum in the same band for mobile usage.

As per international trends, mobile operators get an average of 25 Mhz of radio frequency while operators in India have so far got a maximum of just about 12 Mhz per operator per circle.

According to estimates made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, if the current mobile growth has to be sustained, the government will have to make available a minimum of additional 28 Mhz spectrum for a city like Delhi by 2007.