DoT prepares draft Cabinet note on Defence band

The department wants to facilitate planning of wireless networks by Defence Ministry

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has prepared a draft Cabinet note on the promulgation of Defence Band and Defence Interest Zones seeking approval of the authorities to work towards resolving the long-pending battle between the DoT and the armed forces.

According to the draft Cabinet note, this will facilitate planning of wireless networks by the Ministry of Defence.

However, the DoT has not mentioned any timeframe for implementation of the Defence band. It also did not give any indication on the manner it will be implemented.

While the DoT has given detailed statement about the Defence Band in 1700MHz and 2000MHz, with about 150MHz of spectrum to be allocated for the armed forces, the telecom ministry has avoided commenting anything on the much-debated 2100MHz band.

The Defence and the DoT have beenfighting with each other for 15MHz of spectrum in the 21900MHz band which the Defence will vacate in lieu of the similar quantum of airwave in the 1900MHz band which the DoT will give to the armed forces.

According to the draft Cabinet note, all existing assignments of Defence services outside the Defence band would be relocatedin Defence band within the next five to seven years, while all existing non-Defence assignments in identified Defence band would be relocated in other bands within the same timeframe.

If the Defence requires any spectrumoutside the identified Defence band, the same will be considered by the DoT oncase to case basis. The details of the Defence band will be revisited afterevery World Radiocommunication Conferences of the ITU, DoT stated in the draft note.