Incumbents can get spectrum: DoT arm

WPC's decision puts an end to the ban on issuing fresh spectrum.

The department of telecommunications' Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) arm has moved a note to issue start-up spectrum of 4.4 MHz to four leading service providers offering GSM technology, whose applications have been pending from December 2006.

These players are Vodafone-Essar, Idea Cellular, Bharti-Airtel and Dishnet Wireless (a part of Aircel) in various circles.

WPC's decision ends the virtual ban on issuing fresh spectrum, the radio frequencies that enable mobile communications, that the government had voluntarily imposed last month.

The issue has been the source of controversy between operators of rival technologies and the government owing to a shortage of spectrum to service India's rapidly growing mobile subscriber base, which has been growing at 5 million a month.

The move also opens the doors for the government to issue spectrum to the companies like Reliance Communications (RCom) that have applied for "cross-over technology" (under which an operator is entitled to spectrum for both CDMA and GSM services within its current licence).

The ban was imposed after the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the lobby representing operators offering GSM technology services, challenged the government's decision allowing operators to offer cross-over technology on current licences, on grounds that this violated the telecom licensing policy.

WPC's decision "" which is expected to be conveyed to operators in a few days "" comes after the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) allowed DoT to withdraw the government's ban on December 12.

WPC has recommended issuing 4.4 MHz of spectrum in the 1800 band on a trial basis to Vodafone-Essar in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab; to Aircel in Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat; to Idea Cellular in three districts of Rajasthan; and to Bharti Airtel, the largest GSM service provider, in some districts of Gujarat.

Aircel has been waiting for spectrum in over 14 circles, Vodafone-Essar in six circles and Idea in two.

In its communication, in the second week of December, WPC had said an internal assessment of utilisation by the defence forces revealed that some spectrum is not being utilised in the 1800 MHz band and, therefore, can be issued on a trial basis. Spectrum is initially given on trial basis to operators and then regularised.

This "extra" spectrum is over and above the spectrum that the defence ministry has committed to vacate for mobile service operators.

As a security mechanism, the WPC has also recommended that in some cities close to the borders, it might be prudent not to earmark this surplus spectrum.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the executive committee of COAI scheduled for 20 December has been postponed. There has been lack of consensus among the association's members on the future course of action on spectrum policy. A COAI functionary, however, said the postponement was routine.