NTT DoCoMo raises concerns over spectrum allotment policies

The denial of start-up 2G spectrum for the lucrative Delhi circle has upset NTT DoCoMo, the Japanese firm partnering the Tata Group in telecom venture Tata DoCoMo, which has called for the government to ensure fairness on policy issues.

"NTT DoCoMo as an investor in India looks forward to fairness in terms of policy issues. For instance, Tata DoCoMo should be given start-up spectrum of 4.4 MHz in Delhi and 39 other key districts on a priority basis," NTT DoCoMo Executive Director and Head of Strategic Investment and Alliance Mutsuo Yamamoto told PTI.

NTT DoCoMo's statement comes at a time when the government is understood to have framed a policy that proposes to give priority to companies that already have start-up airwaves for allocation of additional spectrum.

Yamamoto said the government should allot airwaves to players like Tata DoCoMo (which does not have even start-up spectrum in certain circles) before giving out additional spectrum to some of the new players.

Tata DoCoMo, the GSM arm of Tata Teleservices (TTSL), offers services in 18 circles where it has received spectrum from the government. However, it has not been allotted spectrum for the Delhi circle.

Tata DoCoMo has been also pressing for allocation of 1.8 MHz of additional spectrum in six telecom circles -- namely Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh -- for many months now.

After its collaboration with NTT DoCoMo in November, 2008, TTSL launched GSM services under the 'Tata DoCoMo' brand.

Only two new GSM operators -- Reliance Communications and Swan Telecom (now Etisalat DB) -- were allotted 4.4 MHz of start-up spectrum in the Delhi circle under the last round of spectrum allocation by the government.

TTSL crossed the 80 million subscriber-mark with the addition of 2.14 million new users in September this year.

Tata DoCoMo also plans to launch its 3G services in the country by Diwali this year.

TTSL also announced that it will launch next generation mobile services (3G) across all nine circles where it has received 3G spectrum on Diwali next month.

TTSL had bagged 3G spectrum for nine circles in the auction held in May this year. The operator will be one of the first private sector telecom operators to launch 3G services in the country.