COAI rebuts RCom allegation

In a strong reaction to Reliance Communications' contention that GSM operators are not using the scarce spectrum efficiently, the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) has said that CDMA operators have also shown poor spectrum efficiency.

COAI, in a note to all its members, has said the calculation of efficiency on the basis of subscribers and MHz is a "completely incorrect way of adjudging the efficient way of spectrum utilisation".

Instead, the note says, the correct way is based on Erlangs (a unit of telecom traffic intensity) in busy hour per MHz per square km (i.e. number of calls that can be made in a MHz).

The note says the CDMA subscriber base as of May 2007 was 46.8 million, shared by 3-4 operators with around 15 MHz spectrum, which works out to 3.12 million per MHz "Thus CDMA, with its self-proclaimed five times higher capacity and even with the double capacity (the government has given them spectrum on the basis that they are twice as efficient) recognised by the government, is serving fewer subscribers per MHz than GSM," the note says.