Telecom Commission Approves Reliance Communication’s Gsm Foray

[Saurav 22]

Can I use my RIM number with Relance GSM?

[Ramchi 0]

If Reliance focuses on GSM than CDMA let us not hope Reliance lovers come out here and change their stand against CDMA standards which they have been saying is superior to GSM!!!

[@ksh@T 20]

well nw i think MNP will damn sure come . .what so ever it takes

[kshah 452]

No one can beat reliance because of money and their ability to deploy project on time. All others are just business guys where as ambanies are visionaries. And infact India need people like Ambanis to stand against multinationals.

Now Portability is just a step away (by the time they get spectrum in hand and roll out first phase in major cities). By March 2008 I am sure MNP will be there and then I will remain reliance customer with GSM handset in my hand.

Though CDMA is superior, GSM is catching faster. I dont mind sacrificing little voice quality and I am sure reliance will come with better and efficient technology than all existing player.

[HetalDP 947]

GSM in 1800 Mhz will be Better as Its Penetration and Length is Less More Tower have to Pushed Effectively Less Users per Tower. and also 1800 Mhz is Less Congensted so Definately it will be Clear.

Kalpak My Airtel on 1800 Mhz Give Crystal Clear Voice at Both ends. Infact from last 2 Month CDMA have little Issue and Call Received can not hear so Words.

* * * Hurray * * *

[HetalDP 947]

Dont Expect that the Same Old 93 Reliance Number will work and also dont expect that Reliance GSM Roll out will give Number Starting from 93

As 93 is Allocated to Reliance Communication for UASL and For GSM it still depended on 98/99/97 Common Number Pool.

The Conversion of Reliance 93 to GSM will atleast take another Year.

[situ1962 21]

All other gsm operators' technology as well as equipments are now old and not that much efficient and take more bandwidth for a single user.but as reliance is entering just now it will definitely come up with the latest technology and equipment available in the market which will allow it to provide better and efficient service to it's subscribers.even it will be more cost efficient.so reliance can be in a position to declare a price war from the very out set,which will definitely hurt the older operators deeply.but it will undoubtedly benefit the users on the large.so let's welcome it.

[amtrag 20]

RTL is a subsidiary of Reliance Communications, so whatever rcom has should be available to RTL.

Is'nt TataTele (Maharashtra) using the same 92 series as Tata Tele? Tata Tele (Mah) is a subsidiary of Tata Tele.

[kshah 452]

It appears that reliance will get 1800 Mhz only. And they will be interested in 1800 Mhz only because CDMA network on 800 Mhz and 1800 Mhz of GSM requires almost same numbers of towers.

[kk999 25]

I think Reliance GSM use 96xxx xxxxx because all 92/93/94/97/98/99 use and mostly full 91 for India 95 use for STD 0xxx to 95xxx in local area sooooooooooo

96xxx xxxxx will be

Edited October 22, 2007 by Puneet
Do not use all CAPS in posts.

[Puneet 0]

96xxx xxxxx is reserved for pager services. Though I doubt anyone uses pager services anymore or if they are in service anywhere, but still the series is reserved for them.

Reliance GSM will either use 93 or numbers from the 97/98/99 pool. I think it would have to use 93 as the GSM spectrum is coming under the already existing UASL license and it is alloted the 93 series under the same license conditions. Rest only God knows to what extent the Ambanis can bend to rules to their advantage.

[Honest 836]

^^^

My dear friends, no matters what series Reliance will use in GSM, the only thing matter is quality service which we need the most.

I think by the next 6 months the monopoly of biggest operators like Vodafone will come to an end.

Regards.

Edited October 22, 2007 by Honest

[FEVIN-RAJ 61]

GSM players to take DoT to TDSAT over dual technology

23 Oct, 2007, 0616 hrs IST, TNN

NEW DELHI: GSM operators on Monday decided to take the department of telecom (DoT) to telecom tribunal TDSAT over the government’s decision to allow dual technology (offering both CDMA and GSM services under the same licence) and tighten the subscriber-based spectrum allocation norm.

In their petition to TDSAT, the GSM operators will state that permitting cross-over of technologies is impermissible and illegal and was done with the aim of dislodging other operators from the queue. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the body representing all GSM operators, in its petition will also tell the tribunal that the DoT’s move was equivalent to “twisting rules to benefit one operator”. However, the petition does not name the operator concerned.

With regard to tightening the subscriber norms, COAI has opposed the criteria recommended by TRAI on the grounds that it was done without any scientific and technical basis. Besides, it will also tell the tribunal that the regulator had issued these recommendations even though these were not part of the consultation process.

COAI is also likely to seek the tribunal’s nod to have a fresh consultation process on this issue with all stakeholders before the policy is finalised.

TRAI had recommended that subscriber-based spectrum allocation criteria be hiked by two to six times. Raising the spectrum allocation norms will result in all existing operators, barring Bharti in Delhi, being disqualified from getting additional spectrum in their existing circles.

This means that under the new policy, a GSM player in Delhi needs to have a minimum subscriber base of five million to get additional spectrum of 5 MHz (it already has 10 MHz) against the earlier criterion of 2.1 million subscribers for the additional 5 MHz spectrum.

COAI sources said that though the petition was ready, but the association was unable to approach the tribunal on Monday. “We shall be waiting for TDSAT to open on Tuesday to file our petition opposing new rules in telecom sector — allowing CDMA players to start GSM mobile services and increasing subscriber limit for additional spectrum,” COAI director general TV Ramachandran told ET.

So far, all other CDMA-based operators – Reliance Communications, the Tatas, Shyam and HFCL – have applied for GSM spectrum. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications (RCOM) has even paid the DoT Rs 1,651 crore as licence fee for offering GSM services on a nation-wide basis.

[Himanshu Singh 19]

Reliance will roll out gsm services only by the end of 4th quarter of 2008.

[HetalDP 947]

Reliance will roll out gsm services only by the end of 4th quarter of 2008.

Within 6 Month for the most of the Cities or else they will loose Big Upcomming Market Share

I think within 6 month it wll get into every Major City Except for Mumbai and Delhi

[Honest 836]

I think within 6 month it wll get into every Major City Except for Mumbai and Delhi

@Hetal

My dear friend, why except Mumbai and Delhi ?

Mumbai and Delhi could be the biggest market for Reliance GSM. They should launch their services in Mumbai & Delhi within 6 months otherwise.

Regards.

[FEVIN-RAJ 61]

No spectrum to any player till TEC report: Raja

NEW DELHI: The Government on Wednesday said it would not allocate any spectrum to existing operators, licence holders and new applicants till a scientific evaluation was done by the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC).

"There is scarcity of spectrum and number of applicants are much more than actually can be accommodated... applications must be synchronised by a legal process... We have referred the matter to law ministry to get Solicitor General's views on the matter, " Mr A Raja, Telecom Minister said.

On allegations levelled by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) that the Department of Telecom has shown haste in deciding the new guidelines announced last week, the Minister said: "Having received the recommendations from TRAI, the matter was referred to Telecom Commission".

"The Telecom Commission accepted TRAI's recommendations on use of two technologies under same licence while on the issue of enhanced subscriber linked criteria, the matter was referred to TEC for further evaluation," Mr Raja said, adding so there was no case for any hasty decision or favouring any one operator as alleged by the existing operators.

Asked about the fate of over 500 applicants waiting for fresh telecom licences, he said the DoT is in favour of completing the exercise fast, but in accordance with the views of law ministry, which will ultimately help subscriber in terms of lower tariff s and spread of services.

The Government, through its counsel, has also assured the telecom tribunal TDSAT that no spectrum would be given to any player till November 12, the next date of hearing on a petition filed by COAI against the new norms. - PTI

Edited October 24, 2007 by FEVIN-RAJ

[Himanshu Singh 19]

I again maintain Reliance will not roll out GSM services before the 4th Q of 2008.

[@ksh@T 20]

COAI moves TDSAT against new telecom policy

NEW DELHI: Cellular Operators Association of India, a lobby group of GSM players, on Tuesday moved telecom tribunal TDSAT challenging the government's new telecom policy that allows CDMA service providers entry into GSM segment. The petition filed by a host of GSM operators along with COAI also sought quashing of Department of Telecom's (DoT) decision, dated October 19, to allow enhanced subscriber-linked criterion for spectrum allocation. They also sought non-implementation of these decisions terming them unfair, unjust, illegal, arbitrary and violative of level-playing field and principles of natural justice.

COAI had earlier accused DoT of acting with malafide intentions to favour a particular CDMA operator. Although COAI officials did not name the company, it is understood that the GSM lobby is opposing permission granted to Reliance Communications for offe ring GSM services. Within hours of government's nod to offer GSM-based mobile service along with the CDMA technology, Reliance Communications (RCom) had paid Rs 1,651 crore to DoT towards fee for the spectrum.

The other two companies to have received the approval along with RCom are Mahendra Nahata-promoted HFCL and Shyam Telecom. Tata Teleservices, another CDMA player, has also approached DoT seeking permission to start GSM services across the country.

DoT's decision to increase the subscriber limit for allocation of existing spectrum would hurt the interest of incumbents including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone-Essar and Idea Cellular. - PTI

src: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/busine...us/15231201.htm

[KumaarShah 143]

Its going to be a very long wait for us as usual...

[h1ghlander 9]

hope we get a good outcome

[@v@nit 3]

Will be Good outcome but with unnecessary delay.

After DOT node to reliance to go ahead with GSM, Other operators are trying delay the launch of Reliance GSM service and earn what they can, as they know once Reliance GSM service started then no hope of earning for them.

[coolrajiv 1]

GSM service nod for Reliance Communications in 14 circles

7 Dec, 2007, Times of India

In a surprise move, DoT on Thursday awarded a pan-India GSM licence to Reliance Communications. The company had already paid the requisite licence fee of Rs 1,651 crore for a pan-India GSM licence on October 19, 2007, after DoT, in its new telecom policy, had said telcos could offer services using dual technology.

The licence will guarantee that RCom will be in queue for GSM spectrum ahead of the 46 others that have applied for licences recently. The development comes even as leading GSM players have challenged the policy of allowing dual technology in the telecom tribunal.

RCom currently offers telecom services on the CDMA platform in all telecom circles in the country, and, through its 100% subsidiary, also offers GSM services in seven telecom circles.

Confirming the development, a senior company official said, “RCom now holds licences to offer GSM services on a pan-India basis. We got the letters of intent (LOIs) for 20 circles when we made the payment in October. However, on Thursday we got licences for 14 circles only as in the remaining circles, we already offer GSM services through RTL.”

RCom will now have to wait for DoT to allot 4.4 MHz of GSM spectrum in each of the circles to launch commercial operations. The department has submitted to the telecom tribunal that RCom will be allotted spectrum only after existing licence holders—Vodafone, Aircel and Idea—are granted start-up spectrum to launch services and other existing players that have applied for a pan-India licence are allotted both licences and spectrum.

DoT has also told the telecom tribunal that it would not make any spectrum allotments. DoT had also allowed Shyam and HFCL to offer services using dual technology, but these companies have not made the licence fee payment of Rs 1,651 crore yet.

While the Tatas have also applied for GSM spectrum, DoT is yet to process the company’s application. Sources say the Tatas are most likely to move court over the delay in its application, even as RCOM has been given licence for GSM services across the country.

While the licence entitles that each player (on the basis of the queue) will be given 4.4 MHz of GSM spectrum per circle to launch operations, many companies heading the queue have already approached DoT demanding that they be granted 6.2 MHz as start-up radio frequencies. DoT is yet to take a final call on this issue.

[srk006 21]

wow.. Its good news that RCom has got license for pan-india GSM. So we can expect their GSM launch in 1 year if spectrum is given immediately.

[KumaarShah 143]

^^^

Will it take so long for RCOM to launch their services? One year is too long time, IMHO. Hope it starts early.