WPC wants its headcount to double

Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing (WPC), the highest decision making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has asked the department to almost double its staff to about 1,000.

“The government’s revenues from spectrum have increased from Rs 25 crore in 1995 to Rs 4,000 crore now. The volume of work has also increased manifold, but the headcount has not increased substantially,” a senior WPC official told Business Standard on the condition of anonymity.

WPC is the national radio regulatory authority responsible for frequency spectrum management, including licencing, and caters to the needs of all wireless users (government and private).

It is also handling the 3G and Wimax spectrum auctions. The total headcount at WPC is over 500 all over the country, including the technical people, and should be almost doubled, the official said. The group has neither the expertise nor the manpower to deal with licencing, financial-related aspects and post-auction scenario concerning frequency aspects — assigning of 3G and BWA spectrum.

However, the department recently automated its system, which would reduce some of its workload. WPC is divided into major sections such as licencing and regulation, new technology group and standing advisory committee on radio frequency allocation.

It has already dealt with auction-related issues such as guidelines for 3G auction, selection of auctioneer, EGoM on 3G spectrum, pre-bid conference, approval for OFC network for defence forces, among others.

Since the beginning of service licences, WPC was only consulted in spectrum issues, and based on the service licence conditions, spectrum was allotted subject to their availability on case-to-case basis.

The immediate work prior to 3G and BWA auction and post-auction would primarily include licencing, financial aspects and assignment of frequencies. To cater to the huge additional workload of 3G/BWA and future technologies, including implementing stipulation for other frequency bands, wpc would require more people, he said.

The 3G and Wimax auctions are scheduled for April 9, after getting delayed various times due to the issues between department of telecom and defence ministry over vacation of spectrum.