Broadband Wireless Auction (BWA) Results

[kesav 127]

I thought it's time to discuss BWA which is going to give us 4G like experience.

11 players are fighting for 2 slots in each circle.

The players are

1 Aircel Limited

2 Augere (Mauritius) Limited

3 Bharti Airtel Limited

4 Idea Cellular Limited

5 Infotel Broadband Services Private Limited

6 Qualcomm Incorporated

7 Reliance WiMax Limited

8 Spice Internet Service Provider Private Limited

9 Tata Communications Internet Services Limited

10 Tikona Digital Networks Private Limited

11 Vodafone Essar Limited

Highlighted 8 are pan-India bidders.

BWA auction not to start this week

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The eagerly awaited Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) auction, which was scheduled to begin two days after the completion of 3G auction, will not start from this Saturday, mentioned a senior official from the Department of Telecom in a brief interaction with CIOL.

“We are working out on the schedule to start BWA auction. It will not start this Saturday. The information will be published on the website of the Department of Telecom,” said the official who did not want to be named.

He also indicated that the auction is most likely to start from Monday but no decision has been taken yet. The Department of Telecom will decide on the schedule for the starting of the BWA auction process today and the information will be uploaded on the website by this evening, informed the official.

The Department of Telecom successfully completed 3G auction on May 19, which has raised revenue of Rs 67718.95 crore for the government.

source:: http://www.ciol.com/News/News/News-Reports/BWA-auction-not-to-start-this-week/136559/0/

[me_saket 73]

Competetion is between

Tata, Spice,qulacomm and to some extent reliance and tikona,

Other are not serious or don't have money like airtel, idea etc.

[kesav 127]

BWA auction to start on Monday (24-05-2010) as per information on http://dot.gov.in/

[kesav 127]

BWA auction might be an even bigger success than 3G

Internet service providers believe that Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) auctions might bring in close to Rs 50,000 crore for the government of India. BWA is a new internet technology that allows for fast data transfer speeds. They say that the spectrum on auction is four times that of 3G at 20 MHz compared to the 5 MHz of 3G.

Speaking to reporters at an event here, Rajesh Chharia, president, Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI), said, "I won't be surprised if the auction price touches Rs 50,000 crore".

Deepinder Singh Bedi, executive director, Tulip Telecom, also expressed a similar opinion. He said, "With 20 MHz at stake, prices might be way higher than expected. I won't be surprised at any price.” Chharia further said that since the spectrum band is much bigger, the opportunity to provide multiple services would mean that service providers will not want to miss this opportunity. He added, "Don't forget Qualcomm is also bidding for BWA and they would do anything to promote their technology.”

Further, with new guidelines that remove the ‘data only’ services condition, service providers will very likely want to provide other services as well. Services such as IPTV and internet are growing in popularity, and with current usage being very low, such services are expected to grow rapidly for a long time, making them attractive businesses to invest in.

Service providers are likely to bid for select circles only, an approach which was adopted in the 3G auction process. There are 11 bidders in the fray, including Qualcomm, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications, which are expected to be the biggest bidders.

source :: http://telecomyatra.afaqs.com/news/index.html?sid=912_BWA+auction+might+be+an+even+bigger+success+than+3G

I feel TATA communications and Qualcomm to be very agressive.

[kesav 127]

China's homegrown TD-LTE to apply for international 4G standard Oct

SHANGHAI, May 18, 2010 (Xinhua News Agency) -- The development of China's homegrown time division long term evolution (TD-LTE) technology will formally apply for becoming the international fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication technology standard in October, said Lou Qinjian, Vice Minister of the Industry and Information Technology on Monday.

"I am confident about the market application of TD-LTE around the world, and it has a 70 percent possibility to be chosen as the 4G standard," said Zhao Houlin, deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union.

China's TD-SCDMA industry experienced robust development over the 2009. By the end of this March, the number of China's TD-SCDMA users reached 7.70 million, and the trial networks started operating in Taiwan and some African countries in succession.

In 2010, China Mobile continued the TD network construction and optimization, and the number of TD base stations will top 200,000 from last year's 80,000. More services based on the TD-SCDMA terminal devices will be rolled out as well.

Currently, global mainstream manufacturers of chips, equipment and cell-phones all involved TD-LTE in their productions. Telecom operators from US, Japan, Europe, South Korea and India also showed interests in TD-LTE standard and launched negotiation with China Mobile (CHL.NYSE; 00941.HK), China's leading telecom operator that operates TD-SCDMA and TD-LTE.

Zhuang Jing, vice president of Motorola (NYSE:MOT) (China) Technologies Ltd., said that TD-LTE's unique advantage on frequency, high-efficient data transmission capacity, low equipment prices and network construction costs will make it a strong competitor for the 4G international standard. (Edited by Luo Jingjing, luojj@xinhua.org)

This is the same technology which qualcomm wants to push in if it wins.

If qualcomm and another operator with inclination towards TD-LTE wins the auction then WiMAX will be wiped out of India.

Intel, are you listening?

This auction is going to be Intel Vs Qualcomm (read as WiMax Vs TD-LTE)

[kesav 127]

Analyst Angle: BWA in India: WiMAX, TD-LTE and things in the rearview mirror

Flap over security concerns could hobble Huawei, ZTE growth in India

The BWA auction that is scheduled to start two days after conclusion of the 3G auction under way in India, has sparked an intense debate over whether WiMAX or TD-LTE might be best positioned to serve the country's wireless broadband needs.

At the center of the debate is the issue of technology availability and the maturity of the ecosystem required to support the technology standard. In other words, the time-to-market advantage.

WiMAX proponents are particularly vocal in arguing that WIMAX is here now and that TD-LTE, as the chairman of India's WiMAX Forum has been quoted as saying, “will not be ready before 2013” and that it “will require several more years” to get to the stage where WiMAX, at least in its 802.16e incarnation, is today.

That may be overstating the case. A review of the technology landscape suggests TD-LTE is fast gathering momentum and, as friends in the automotive industry put it, things in the rearview mirror may be closer than they seem.

In a separate but potentially related development, India has banned the import of telecom equipment from China, citing security concerns. Beyond hobbling the growth plans of vendors like Huawei and ZTE, this could also impact BWA technology choices in India.

3G auction update

But first, a quick update of the 3G auction under way in India may be useful.

Earlier this week, after 21 days and 122 rounds, bids for a single pan-India 3G spectrum slot reached USD $2.4 billion, slightly more than three times the reserved price set by the government. The bidding activity requirement was still at 90%, where it had been pegged in round 104 on April 30, the 18th day of the auction.

Since not all of the country's 22 operating circles are equal in their revenue potential, bids have varied markedly across circles. So, while Delhi and Mumbai have seen bids exceed five times their respective reserved price, some of the lesser circles – lesser in revenue potential – are yet to get a single bid. One assumes these circles will likely see bids when the activity requirement is set at 100%, most likely sometime early next week.

Shifting tides

WiMAX proponents are understandably frustrated over their rapidly shifting tides of fortune in India. It was not so long ago, after all, when India looked like such a sure thing for WiMAX.

In fact, when the state-owned incumbent, BSNL, was allocated nationwide 2.5 GHz spectrum in 2007/8, it seemed India was not merely going to be the big showcase for WiMAX, it was also going to provide the necessary scale and scope that would allow the technology to be deployed in Africa and the rest of the world's emerging markets.

Then, things changed rather quickly, and dramatically. BSNL fumbled the ball, weighed down by classic pathologies – inefficiencies, if you may – endemic to state-run enterprises. Worse, India decided to assign 2.3 GHz spectrum for wireless broadband.

What looked like a sure thing for WiMAX, suddenly looks anything but – especially given the fungibility of spectrum and the government's reluctance to impose choice of technology on market players.

Misplaced ire?

When Qualcomm announced its intent to throw its hat in the BWA ring, WiMAX proponents – some less subtly than others – wasted little time in suggesting that the San Diego chipmaker may be a game-spoiler, planning to hoard spectrum and hold up broadband deployment in India.

Understandable as it may be, the ire may be misplaced – largely because, in focusing on a single actor, it fails to take into account the larger dynamics at play. [On a completely separate note, there may be a dissertation topic here waiting to be addressed: What makes Qualcomm such a lightning rod for the ire of market rivals?]

Consider, if you may, the roster of participants in the imminent BWA auction that has two nationwide spectrum slots on offer. There are 11 players in the race, eight of whom have indicated an interest in seeking a pan-India spectrum slot. Six of these eight players – Aircel, Bharti-Airtel, Idea Cellular, Reliance Telecom, Tata Teleservices, and Vodafone-Essar – are the same six players seeking pan-India 3G spectrum. And, several of them have expressed little or no desire to pursue WiMAX.

This suggests that even if Qualcomm – one of the remaining two players seeking pan-India BWA spectrum, the other being Infotel Broadband Services – were, for the sake of the argument, to be taken out of the BWA equation, it may not have meant an uncontested run for WiMAX in India.

The TD-LTE momentum

Qualcomm's decision to participate in India's BWA auction perhaps only served as a catalyst igniting the global interest in TD-LTE. The momentum for TD-LTE surely had other antecedents.

Until recently, the LTE narrative was driven primarily by Verizon and AT&T in the U.S. and DoCoMo in Japan for deployment in paired spectrum; in other words, as an FDD, or Frequency Division Duplex, technology. LTE's deployment in unpaired spectrum, as a TDD (or Time Division Duplex) technology, was only being considered by China Mobile, and had not captured the global imagination.

In the past few months, however, the interest in TD-LTE has heated up considerably – in part, driven by India's BWA spectrum assignment. With the possibility that it might find a home in each of the world's two biggest markets – China and India – leading technology and device vendors have been quick to signal, and demonstrate, their support for the technology.

The fact that most mobile operators in western Europe are also sitting on considerable, if as yet unused, TDD spectrum – albeit in the 2.6 GHz band – may also have contributed to the infrastructure vendors' collective and new-found interest in TD-LTE.

Vendor & industry support

TD-LTE today boasts the widespread industry and vendor support that any technology needs to grow and thrive. All thye major players, and some smaller ones, have joined the chorus of support.

So, for instance, Ericsson last month announced its deal with Chinese vendor Datang to gain an early handle on TDD solutions. Nokia Siemens Networks had, likewise, announced setting up a TD-LTE R&D center in Hangzhou, China, to provide an end-to-end testing environment for networks and devices.

Alcatel-Lucent has already been working on TD-LTE and has installed a trial network being showcased at the Shanghai Expo. Motorola has also indicated that several operators around the world, lacking paired spectrum, have expressed an interest in TD-LTE. And, of course, Huawei and ZTE have demonstrated their interest in TD-LTE through trials.

Several chipmakers – from industry leader Qualcomm to Altair, Beceem, Sequans, Innofidei, Wavesat, among others – have indicated their commitment to developing TD-LTE chipsets in 2.3/2.5 GHz bands. Qualcomm has said it will have its TD-LTE version of MDM 9600 chips available as early as this quarter.

Clearwire, the poster child for WiMAX in the U.S., has also signaled an interest, asking the standards body, 3GPP, to begin working on specifications that would enable TD-LTE to be deployed in the 2.6 GHz band in which it currently deploys WiMAX.

Things in the rearview mirror

Given this current and rapidly growing interest in TD-LTE, it would seem that the “substantial” time-to-market advantage argued by WiMAX proponents may require some reconsideration. As friends in the automotive industry might say, things in the rearview mirror may be closer than they appear.

While my friends in the WiMAX camp are correct in observing that WIMAX is here and TD-LTE has yet to be commercialized, it would seem to me that the inferences they seek to draw from the proposition in the Indian context may be a tad too optimistic – and self serving.

Especially so, given that WIMAX folks themselves are still conducting validation testing for the 2.3 GHz Mobile WiMAX profile in the 5/10 megahertz and 8.75 megahertz channels.

For the uninitiated: The above profile is important given that India is allocating only 20 megahertz of spectrum for broadband wireless access. Technology vendors have noted that WiMAX, with its 3-cell frequency reuse, is best deployed in 30-megahertz bands to avoid the interferences that may undermine capacity and performance.

Evaluating choices

As someone who has been studying the industry for now over 20 years, it would seem to me that, caught up in the excitement of the moment, we tend to forget that network and technology choices – because of the size of the investment and the inherent path dependencies – are, as indeed they should be, about more than feeds and speeds and short-term advantages.

Networks are a business anchored in the economies of scale and scope. Because they create path dependencies – the idea that the initial choice of a technological standard can have important and sometimes irreversible influences on future market allocation of resources – they are often about long-term evolution which, beyond the unintended pun, speaks to predictability, interoperability, availability of cross-technology and cross-generational devices, and a well-managed ecosystem, among others

Further, technology choices are situated in a complex web of political, economic, and technological interdependencies. As I have often noted before, new technologies are rarely born in a vacuum; rather, they are brought forward in existing structures of power represented by legacy systems, by which I do not mean antiquated network gear but rather relationships -- among industry players, between industry players and capital markets, and between technologies and developers – that represent continuously evolving ecologies of support.

I do not seek to imply that there is no place for a new technology, but rather that it is a considerable challenge for the new technology and its proponents – as my friends in the WiMAX world might agree – to supplant the obtaining order of things unless they can demonstrate they are orders of magnitude more valuable to the industry and the end customer it serves. A brief time-to-market advantage may not be sufficient – few get excited about a horse being ahead in an early lap of a multiple-lap race.

The Indian context

Given the burgeoning support for TD-LTE, I am somewhat concerned about the future of WiMAX in India, and convinced that while it will surely see deployment, it may not see as wide a deployment as might have been imagined.

Indian operators are starved for spectrum, as the intense bidding for 3G spectrum demonstrates. If the BWA bids are as intense as the 3G bids – and there is every indication that they likely will, if not more so, since many operators are likely to see BWA as a second chance at ensuring their future – then the operators are also likely to be strapped for cash.

As a consequence, they are likely to turn to their vendors for support (read vendor financing). Now, if the vendors are disinclined to support WiMAX – as indeed most, if not all, leading western vendors are – that might constitute a serious problem.

The country's recent decision to curb imports of telecom infrastructure equipment from China, anchored in security concerns, might serve to dim WiMAX's prospects further.

Flap over Chinese vendors

First, some background: Citing security concerns, India has blocked imports of telecom equipment from Chinese vendors for an indefinite period. While no formal ban has been imposed, Indian operators have been advised to seek security clearance for the equipment they may be procuring for their network operations.

The security clearance requirement is an existing licensing condition that the government has invoked to throttle the import of Chinese equipment into the country.

India is the second-largest market outside China for both Huawei and ZTE and the Chinese vendors are, understandably, scrambling to gain clarity and allay the government's security concerns. The implications of the ban on existing infrastructure contracts are unclear, except that network deployment plans of some operators are being thrown out of whack.

Will hurt domestic industry too

Sources in government and industry suggest that the flap over security might persist for several months. If that happens, it would effectively hobble Huawei's and ZTE's growth opportunities in India, since both Huawei and ZTE might get excluded from the first round of contracts awarded for 3G and BWA. Western vendors would stand to gain, by contrast.

The ban on Chinese telecom infrastructure imports may, actually, hurt the entire Indian industry. The reduction in competition, especially elimination of aggressive competitors from the equation, may raise the bill for all telcos. While the large incumbent operators may still be able to extract favorable terms from the remaining vendors, if only because of historical relationships, the smaller operators are sure to see their bills rise.

But beyond this, the ban on Chinese vendors might also adversely affect WIMAX prospects in India. The Chinese vendors, much more than their major western counterparts, seemed inclined to pursue WiMAX contracts. In addition to providing the technology, they would likely have offered viable financing terms to help new WiMAX players roll out the networks.

If these vendors are forced to sit out the round of infrastructure contracts that are likely to follow the current auctions, WiMAX may have lost strong allies that could have helped their cause in India. There is always Samsung and the smaller infrastructure vendors, of course.

source :: http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20100505/SPECTRUM_AUCTION/100509967/analyst-angle-bwa-in-india-wimax-td-lte-and-things-in-the-rearview

Although article is heavily loaded against WiMax, it throws good information on ecosystem here and there...

[kesav 127]

USB Dongle Demonstrates TD-LTE Capability

USB dongles powered by the Sequans SQN3010 baseband system-on-a-chip (SoC) performed successfully as part of a China Mobile end-to-end TD-LTE demonstration network that debuted at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on May 1 (see the figure). During the demonstration, the dongle delivered high-definition video.

The SQN3010 complies with the 3GPP R8 standard, supporting UE category 3 throughput of 100 Mbits/s. It also has been integrated with RF provided by Sequans’ partners. According to the company, it will deliver the chip to China Mobile for LTE band class 40 (2.3 to 2.4 GHz) supporting 20-MHz channels.

Additionally, Sequans is collaborating with Alcatel-Lucent to bring TD-LTE solutions to TD-LTE operators in Asia and Europe who are planning to offer services at 2.6 GHz. As a result, Sequans is delivering a second version of its TD-LTE dongle for LTE band class 38 (2.5 to 2.6 GHz).

source:: http://mobiledevdesign.com/standards_regulations/usb-dongle-demonstrates-capability-052110/

[kesav 127]

By looking at the ferocity of the BWA auctions, the myth of India skipping 3G for 4G is going to become real.

Now BWA auctions has become royal battle for 2 competing techologies of 4G ( WiMax Vs LTE (can also be read as Intel Vs Qualcommm)).

It's great for the Indian consumers who have been deprived of fruits of 3G to have a direct landing in 4G straight from 2G.

It's interesting to see whether operators who holds 3G spectrum will be deploying 3G or some compatible 4G technology straight in 3G spectrum.

India is going to be first country in the world where 3G & 4G are going to be deployed simultaneously.

Now it has become imperative for the regulator TRAI to speed-up the regulatory policy framework for 4G sooner than later.

The speed at which 4G be deployed in India is completely in the hands of handset makers.

We've to see how fast they can bring in TD-LTE and WiMax(if it wins atlease one slot) handsets into Indian market.

It also depends on speed at which they can supply handsets which work in multiple modes (minimum 3 out of GSM,CDMA1X,EvDO,HSDPA,WiMax,TD-LTE).

Here again I feel Aircel will surprise others like what it did during 3G auctions since they've very good experience in their limited fixed WiMax operations in Chennai and Bangalore.

Still no one is clear even after 44 rounds of bidding which operators are looking for TD-LTE and who will go for WiMAX.

[HetalDP 947]

Competetion is between

Tata, Spice,qulacomm and to some extent reliance and tikona,

Other are not serious or don't have money like airtel, idea etc.

Dont have money like Airtel Vodafone and Reliance, Ideas Balance sheet is very bad now a days

[kesav 127]

TRAI to release consultation paper on 4G spectrum in a week's time

Trai, FCC to collaborate on broadband

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will soon be releasing a consultation paper on the roll out of 4G spectrum, even as the process of allocation of 3G radio waves to private operators is yet to begin after successful completion of the auction.

“We will ready with a consultation paper on 4G in a week and expect the regulations to be in place in the next few months,” said TRAI Chairman J. S. Sarma.

Addressing a meeting on ‘The road to broadband — investment and innovation', organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Mr. Sarma said the consultation paper would address issues such as adoption of an optic fibre network, cost of bandwidth, tariffs and the relationship between telecom service providers and internet service providers.

He further said the aim of TRAI was to make broadband an alternative model for the delivery of governance. “We would like to see that broadband is used for improving human development and giving a fillip to agriculture and social sector issues such as healthcare and education,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, US telecom regulator Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski emphasised the economic opportunities arising out of extending broadband to unserved areas. There was a clear co-relation between the adoption of broadband and increasing GDP. Broadband was also seen as a platform for solving the challenges of education, healthcare, public safety and environment, he pointed out.

Mr. Genachowski expressed concern over trends in the U.S. indicating a widening gap between the supply of spectrum and the demand from mobile broadband 3G technology users. The U.S. National Broadband Plan was focussing on decreasing the cost on investment through higher incentives and maximising the depth of infrastructure. It seeks to promote competition and transparency, public safety and accelerating the movement towards e-governance, he added.

source:: http://beta.thehindu.com/business/Industry/article440688.ece

[mihirf2003 7]

well if 4G is gonna be implemented before 3G what about all the money that poured in the 3G auction

I think its all gonna be gone in our minister's pockets or rather MR. A Raja's swiss accounts

[kesav 127]

By looking at the overall ecology which is developing out of 3G and BWA auctions, I infer the following.

1) For CDMA route is very clear. 1X --> EvDO --> LTE/WiMax.

2) For GSM, the route may be different for different operators. But all the following combinations is possible

i) GSM --> HSDPA (3G) --> LTE (4G)

ii) GSM --> HSDPA (3G) --> WiMAX (4G)

iii) GSM --> WiMAX (4G)

iv) GSM --> LTE (4G)

The operators will be very stiffly fighting for the circles which they've lost in 3G to deploy either WiMAX or TD-LTE so that they've pan-India footprint for data services.

So friends be preapared to have 3G data in home circle and roam with 4G data in other circles. Even vice-versa is also possible.

There is another possibility if any of the incumbent operator wins pan-India footprint in this BWA auction. If it becomes true, then he will deploy 4G( Wimax or TD-LTE) Pan-India for data and either sell out his 3G spectrum to others or will use it for high-quality voice.

Another key important outcome could be Qualcomm or Infotel Broadband becoming green-field 4G-alone pan India operator.

Unlike 3G auction(only 5MHz auctioned), 20 MHz is auctioned in BWA which is quite good enough for voice and data services.

Edited June 2, 2010 by kesav

[me_saket 73]

good analysis

3G and 4G combined

[kesav 127]

The following is a classic case of Regulator lagging Market.

Already auction of 4G spectrum is on full swing, but Telecom comission member talking about 4G now.

Anyway it's better than not talking.

4G services by next yr: Telecom Commission official

Coimbatore, May 28 (PTI) With auction of 3G Services having been completed, steps are on to introduce 4G services, which would most likely be in place by next year, a top Telecom Commission official said today.

The consultant papers with regard to 4G services has already been moved by TRAI to the Department of Telecommunications, which would take about six to eight months, Chandra Prakash, Member, Technology, Telecom Commission, told reporters here.

"The recommendations of TRAI and DoT would be discussed in detail and 4G can be expected in place by next year," Prakash said, who was here to review arrangements by the telecom sector for the World Classical Tamil Conference scheduled to start from June 23.

source :: http://www.ptinews.com/news/676231_4G-services-by-next-yr--Telecom-Commission-official

Edited June 4, 2010 by kesav

[kesav 127]

TD-LTE sounds death-knell for WiMAX

"The rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Was it Mark Twain who said that, or WiMAX? News of the poor 4G technology's imminent death have surfaced again with some vigour, with blame squarely aimed at the growing support for the unpaired flavour of LTE - known as TD-LTE - which offers holders of unpaired spectrum a ticket into the LTE ballgame.

The events which have brought relatives and loved-ones back to WiMAX' deathbed started last summer when Bill Morrow, Clearwire CEO, revealed that the company was not ideological about WiMAX and flipping the network over to LTE was a mere software upgrade exercise. As Derek Kessler over at precentral.net pointed out at the time, if Clearwire were on Facebook, it's relationship status with WiMAX abruptly changed to "It's Complicated" - Facebook speak for "I'm seeing other people". Morrow's more recent comments have emphasised this new relationship status, telling Cnet that a revised agreement with Intel allows Clearwire to dump WiMAX with as little as 30 days notice, although "We won't be deploying LTE anytime soon and definitely not before 2012."

Loss of support from such a big operator would be a blow to WiMAX, but at least Clearwire's still onboard. But hop over to Russia and the same cannot be said for Yota, one of the world's largest WiMAX operators serving more than 500,000 mobile internet customers across the country. Last month, Yota announced that it will cover the next 15 cities on its roll-out list with LTE instead of WiMAX. It will also cover existing markets in Moscow and St. Petersburg with LTE by the end of 2011. Yota will spend $100 million to roll-out LTE in five Russian cities this year, with total investment estimated at up to $2 billion. This is the mother of all defections.

The rise of the TD-LTE standard seems to be at the root of both Clearwire's relationship update and Yota's defection. Back in the day, operators' attraction to WiMAX, particular new market entrant operators, was its ability to work in unpaired spectrum. Unpaired spectrum tends to be cheaper and more readily available, two factors which underpin the success of any wireless service business model. Conversely, LTE had been standardised requiring paired spectrum, following in the evolutionary footsteps of its paired spectrum predecessors - GSM and UMTS. However, with pressure from influential unpaired spectrum holders like China Mobile, a TDD version of LTE has been pushed out. Although standardisation was initiated two years later than paired LTE (FDD LTE), it has more or less caught up and reached commercial viability.

While most GSM operators in Asia, Europe and North America will likely upgrade along the FDD path with the paired spectrum they own, TD-LTE will predominantly be found in China, India and Russia. These huge markets will give LTE massive economies of scale which WiMAX will struggle to compete with.

source:: http://www.rethink-wireless.com/2010/06/03/td-lte-sounds-death-knell-wimax.htm

[kesav 127]

By runing through the following article, it looks maximum operators throughout the world are deploying LTE(FDD) in 2.1 GHz band which was auctioned in India for 3G.

http://www.maravedis-bwa.com/Issues/5.24/Readmore3.html

I think the prudent method for all the operators is to skip the 3G and deploy 4G both in 2.1 GHz which they won from 3G auctions and also deploy 4G in the spectrum which they're going to win in BWA auction.

Deploying 3G is literally waste of money since the operators have to make again a huge investment in 4G within a year or two. Since 2.1 GHz is also suitable for 4G technology and our regulator being technology neutral, there shouldn't be any bottlenecks in deploying 4G in 2.1 GHz. The only issue is whether 2*5 MHz paired spectrum is sufficient for LTE(FDD) deployment.

[kesav 127]

BWA auctions maybe in the last stage as DoT sets activity level to 100%

The DoT on Saturday set the activity level to 100% thereby setting the stage for the final phase of BWA spectrum auctions.

The pan-India price at the end of Day 11 peaked to Rs.9,837.41 crore with the government assured of making atleast Rs. 29,512.23 crore.

Mumbai circle was at the top of the list with bid price of Rs.1,633.7 crore while Delhi was at Rs.1,591.82 crore. Tamil Nadu followed with bid price of Rs.1,461.62 crore.

source :: http://telecomtiger.com/PolicyNRegulation_fullstory.aspx?storyid=9344&flag=1&passfrom=topstory&section=S174

As expected, 4G auction is getting hotter and hotter.

The operators are believed to be concentrating on the circles which they've missed out in 3G auctions to have Pan-India LTE n/w.

There's very high possibility that pan-India 4G spectrum charge to go past pan-India 3G spectrum price.

[kesav 127]

Pan-India 4G spectrum price has breached 10,000 Cr INR mark yesterday.

It stands at 10,652.08 Cr INR at the end of yesterday.

:clap:

Total revenue to the Govt. so for from both the auctions stands at 99,675.19 Cr INR as of yesterday.

Surely it'll would have crossed 100,000 Cr INR by the time I'm posting this message.

It'll be a landmark achievement and surely siginificant acknowledgement has to be given to e-auctioneer for their fantastic format.

Edited June 8, 2010 by kesav

[me_saket 73]

:Sorprendido:

[kesav 127]

As expected, the total revenue to the Govt. breaches past 100,000 Cr INR mark yesterday.

The total revenue to the Govt. from both (3G & 4G) auctions stands at 102,272.65 Cr INR as of end of yesterday.

:clap:

4G auction is in the sprint leg and operators are falling over one another to have the first mover advantage into wireless information superhighway (read as 4G). Looking at the way how chips are moving, the life of 3G in India is over before it has started and India will leapfrog into 4G straightaway.

Edited June 9, 2010 by kesav

[kesav 127]

Another significant achievement has been reached by end of yesterday.

The revenue from 4G auction alone stands at 36771.9 Cr INR which is greater than initial Govt. estimate for both 3G&4G auctions(35000 Cr INR).

:clap:

The following are key points.

4G price for Tamil Nadu and Punjab have gone past their respective 3G Prices.

TN --> 1,931.06(Current 4G) --> 1,464.94 (3G)

Punjab -->332.27(Current 4G) --> 322.01(3G)

It clearly indicates that still there are lot and lot of rounds left and there is another 20 circles in which they can play catch up game wrt circles' respective 3G prices.

The follwoing are the key quite significant motivating factors for the operators to go in further.............

1) They're going to get 20 MHz in 4G auction against 2*5MHz(10 MHz) in 3G auction.

2) The spectral efficiency of 4G is sginificantly higher than 3G. (this factor may not exist if operators decide to deploy LTE(FDD) in 2.1 GHz band)

3) 4G technology battle b/w WiMAX Vs LTE not yet over hence they can get sinificant support(financial and technical) from chip makers(read as Intel and Qualcomm) which is not the case in 3G(where Qualcomm is monopolistic in EVDO and HSDPA)

4) There is a possibility for 4G-alone greenfield operator since the spectrum of 20 MHz is sufficent for voice and data

Edited June 11, 2010 by kesav

[chintan1 6]

^^^^

:clap:

Nice to see telecom players fighting for 4G very well . If everything goes well ,sooner we will have 4G has reality in India also ....

[Greatest 55]

This is India, I will not trust anyone until it is actually implemented and shown/practically experienced onto Mobile Phones/computers/electronics....

Just wait and watch...

[kesav 127]

Well said my dear friend.

Our TRAI, DoT, MHA and operators will have filmsy reasons to delay the deployment.

Coimg back to auction proceedings,

The difference between the pan-India 3G and 4G spectrum is dwindling day by day.

The difference is just 3,976.01 Cr INR as of end of yesterday.

There are lot and lot of rounds left in 4G auction and it may go on for another week by which pan-India 4G price may hit 20,000 Cr INR

[kesav 127]

Huawei and Samsung products receive WiMAX Forum’s first certification for MIMO 2.3 GHZ mobile devices

The WiMAX Forum revealed the first Mobile WiMAX products to receive the WiMAX Forum Certified Seal of Approval for the MIMO 2.3 GHz profile. The development allows WiMAX Forum designated labs to accept tri-band (2.3, 2.5 and 3.5 GHz) products and immediately begin the certification process.

The products to receive WiMAX Forum certification include two base stations from Huawei and Samsung. The tests were conducted at WiMAX Froum testing labs in China and Korea. Additionally the ADT lab in Taiwan recently completed the construction of its 2.3 GHz test bed infrastructure.

“I would like to congratulate Huawei and Samsung for leading the way for WiMAX Certified 2.3 GHz products,” said Ron Resnick, president and chairman of the WiMAX Forum. “This spectrum band is increasingly important with India’s BWA auction currently underway. WiMAX services in India and other counties with poor broadband penetration will create new opportunities and generate economic vitality and jobs for millions of people while closing the digital divide gap in rural areas.”

“The competition of the first 2.3 GHz certified products opens the door to our designated labs accepting tri-band products for certification testing,” said Ed Agis, Chair of the WiMAX Forum Certification Working Group. “Tri-band WiMAX devices operating in the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequency bands will enable true global roaming across networks with agreements in place. We expect the first tri-band products to be certified in 2010.”

source:: http://telecomtiger.com/WiMAX_fullstory.aspx?passfrom=WiMAX&storyid=9393&section=S214

Looks like infrastructure vendors are in full-swing to make WiMAX, the future of India.