RCom gets spectrum for GSM services

ANIL AMBANI'S DAY OUT

Rival operators' lobby to approach Delhi High Court.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) issued spectrum to Reliance Communications (RCom), the country's largest CDMA player, for GSM operations under the cross-over technology policy for the 14 circles or service areas for which it had applied.

The cross-over technology policy allows service providers to offer customers both GSM and CDMA mobile technologies on the same licence.

The spectrum, the radio frequencies that enable wireless communications, was issued to the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) company late on Thursday night for five circles "" Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Maharashtra and Goa.

Spectrum for the remaining nine circles was issued today.

RCom has already received a letter of intent to provide GSM services in 13 circles. The company already had GSM operations in six circles "" Assam, West Bengal, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh.

Responding quickly to the move, the GSM lobby Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) has decided to approach the Delhi High Court against the decision.

COAI has already filed a writ petition for staying the issue of spectrum under the cross-over policy. The hearing is slated for Monday.

The move closely follows COAI's failure to get a stay either from the telecom tribunal or the Delhi High Court directing the government not to issue spectrum under the new policy, which they have challenged in the courts.

The GSM lobby has maintained that the cross-over policy was malafide. The Delhi High Court, however, told COAI that it could approach the court if the government issued spectrum under the cross-over policy.

Meanwhile, DoT has also cleared the issue of spectrum to incumbents who have been waiting in the wings from December 2006.

Aircel has been given GSM spectrum in four circles (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala); Idea Cellular has been given spectrum in Bihar and Mumbai and Vodafone-Essar in Bihar, Orissa, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, the north east, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

DoT has also issued a letter of intent to Tata Teleservices for operating GSM services in 20 circles under the cross-over technology policy. However, it is still waiting for spectrum.