RCom wants GSM spectrum in 900 Mhz

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New Delhi, March 13

The battle for spectrum has begun again with Reliance Communication (RCom) asking the Department of Telecom to allocate spectrum in the more cost effective 900 Mhz band instead of the 1800 Mhz band for offering GSM services. DoT had earlier allocated start up spectrum to the company in the 1800 Mhz band. The existing GSM operators have, however, shot off a letter to DoT objecting to the swap on the grounds that they had first rights to the spectrum in the 900 Mhz band.

The band sought by RCom is colloquially known as the extended GSM band and is globally used by service providers to offer GSM-based mobile services. In India, however, this band has been earmarked for CDMA-based mobile services.

"It is submitted that the said CDMA operator (RCom) was allotted spectrum in the 1800MHz band after due consideration and its request within weeks, to "swap" its 1800 MHz spectrum allocation with 900MHz spectrum is completely untenable and cannot be entertained by DoT," the letter from the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said.

"The GSM operators have been making repeated submissions to DoT to re-farm this band /spectrum and make it available for GSM-based mobile services as all the equipment that has been imported and is being used by the Indian GSM operators since 1994 is already attuned to offer mobile services in this band. However, despite the same, DoT has continued to earmark this band for CDMA-based services," COAI said.

COAI said that if and when the GSM spectrum is made available by DoT for GSM-based mobile services, then it would be the incumbent GSM operators who have been repeatedly seeking access to this spectrum that will have the first right to this spectrum.

Taken from Business Line

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