Include Chinese vendors in 2G spectrum pricing meet: AUSPI

CDMA operators have asked sectoral regulator TRAI to include Chinese vendors ZTE and Huawei in a meeting called by the watchdog this week to discuss the 2G spectrum pricing issue.

The association of CDMA operators, AUSPI, said that representatives from other manufacturers like Ericsson and Nokia as well as technology developers Qualcomm have been invited for the discussion on the issue along with the professors from IIT Chennai, Mumbai, Kharagpur, Hyderabad and IISs Bangalore on June 5.

AUSPI, in a letter to TRAI, said it has opposed the discussions with "selected" telecom vendors like Nokia and Ericsson.

TRAI which has already submitted its recommendations on the 2G spectrum pricing issue, is meeting the stakeholders for consultations on finding the per mega hertz price of spectrum.

"We strongly oppose the discussions with selected telecom vendors like Nokia and Ericsson who are major telecom network equipment providers to the old GSM operators like Bharti, Vodafone and Idea and they may not be able to give any independent view of the issue under discussion, 2G pricing," the association said.
    
"Nokia and Ericsson have vested interest of supplying equipment to the old GSM operators and their presence as well as their views will create a feeling of discrimination because of their vested interest in the supply of equipment to the operators like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea," AUSPI said.
    
"We, therefore, request that either the Chinese vendors, Huawei and ZTE, are invited to attend the TRAI meeting or none of the vendors should be invited including Ericsson, Nokia or Qualcomm," it said.