Spectrum for Customer Base for 3G Rollout in India

[@ksh@T 20]

ALLOTMENT OF SPECTRUM BASED ON NUMBER OF SUBSCRIBERS ENVISAGED

WAR between CDMA and GSM operators is going to hot up as the DoT has finalised the draft Spectrum policy. The policy envisages that spectrum be allocated on the basis of number of subscribers, there should be no entry fee for 3G services, and 2 Ghz band should be used for 3G services.

A committee under wireless advisor PK Garg has submitted its recommendations to the DoT for the approval of telecom commission.

The draft recommendations envisage that the existing system of allocating spectrum on the basis of subscriber base should be continued. The current system is based on the hypothesis that CDMA technology is more efficient than the GSM technology. The same frequency band would cater to more subscribers in CDMA networks. For additional spectrum, CDMA operators require more than double the subscriber base that GSM operators require. CDMA operators have been opposing it. US companies like Qualcomm and the Korean suppliers like LG are also likely to oppose it. “If the CDMA technology is more efficient than the GSM technology, then why GSM accounts for more than 70% of the total subscriber base in the world,” said an observer.

Draft Spectrum policy report recommends that IMT-2000 2 Ghz band be allocated for providing 3 G services. Spectrum in 1900 band would not be allocated to anyone as it is being used by defence. This is a major setback for CDMA operators as in most of the countries 1900 Mhz band is used for 3G services and there is no equipment currently available for them in 2 Ghz spectrum band.

Trai had recommended that there should not be any entry fee for 3G services. However, Ratan Tata had offered Rs 1,500 crore as entry fee for 3G services. He had argued that if 3G spectrum is given for free, then the operators will not use it efficiently. Some of them may even engage in its hoarding. In most of the countries, spectrum is auctioned. The DoT committee agrees with the Trai recommendations and has said that there should not be any entry fee for spectrum. Finance ministry, however, wants that 3G spectrum should be priced. Now, if DoT doesn’t charge any fee for spectrum, then it would generate a big controversy. Sources said that lobbies of both GSM and CDMA operators would put a lot of pressure on the government

-----------------------------------------------------

Guys is that Fair or Not! what d u say i say that its UNFAIR

Edited August 23, 2005 by Arun

[ashoksoft 83]

hmmm interesting ....

[@ksh@T 20]

Boss i personally think that it cannot be done on the basis of Subscriber Base if Somebody has less subscriber base and want to offer good services or services of some higher class shouldnt he be allowed (DID tata had offered money for so!)

I think who so ever wants the spectrum shd begiven

[anujit 0]

Why cant GSM and CDMA both get the 1900 spectrum? There are around 6-7 mobile service providers in India. Surely this band can accomodate 6 players.

What does subscriber base have to do with anything? If a small player wants to offer its entire subscriber base of 200 people the latest & best technology .... just freakin let them!

One of the major things they should look at while alotting spectrum is GLOBAL COMPATIBILITY! Let the Americans come here with their fancy mobiles and run up huge bills here. Let the Brits come up with their lesser fancy mobiles and run up huge bills here. And let the Japs come here with the space age stuff and do amazing things. Thats what communication is about and the govt. should be facilitating it not strangling it.

[Chirag 5]

Let the Americans come here with their fancy mobiles and run up huge bills here. Let the Brits come up with their lesser fancy mobiles and run up huge bills here. And let the Japs come here with the space age stuff and do amazing things. Thats what communication is about and the govt. should be facilitating it not strangling it.

38704[/snapback]

Lolz, u need to tell this to the Marxists! Hope u stay alive!

[anujit 0]

What have the Marxists gotta do with this anyways?

And speaking of the Marxists - where does does Japan have its BIGGEST investments in India - in West Bengal thank you very much.

Edited August 22, 2005 by anujit

[Chirag 5]

Unfortunately Indian Marxists dont believe in letting "foreigners" "loot" Indians by selling their stuff which is "not manufactured" in india. Huh?? Spectrum for now! Chuck that anujit!

Spectrum, i guess, is going to be the hottest thing of the current fiscal. Infact, Junior Ambani might decide on his investments in RIM upon the policy. Coz that wud decide the future and scope of RIM. So keep ur fingers crossed. Rather, make a switch to GSM, if the deal gets better there(No need to sob with Ambanis for this )

[ashoksoft 83]

Oh my goodness ... anujit has been causing trouble everywhere ... dont the mods think I need to become one amongst them to actually kick anujit around (even admins are advised to think about this)?

I Promise to allot all my bandwidth , spectrum etc to ensure that rimweb will be anujit free ;p hehe

BTW ... coming to the point ... I do support chirag's views ... I do not think it is possible (and Akshat 'desijallad' Jain are u sure that Ratan Tata gave Rs. 1500 ? hmm I think even I can give that .... for providing customized 3G AshokSoft services)

Cheers

Ashok

[@ksh@T 20]

Oh my goodness ... anujit has been causing trouble everywhere ... dont the mods think I need to become one amongst them to actually kick anujit around (even admins are advised to think about this)?

I Promise to allot all my bandwidth , spectrum etc to ensure that rimweb will be anujit free ;p hehe

BTW ... coming to the point ... I do support chirag's views ... I do not think it is possible (and Akshat 'desijallad' Jain are u sure that Ratan Tata gave Rs. 1500 ? hmm I think even I can give that .... for providing customized 3G AshokSoft services)

Cheers

Ashok

38726[/snapback]

OOOpppps dear i had said that DID mr TATA had a slight View of that and he might be knowing that spectrum might be allotted on Customer base and he as ha s lot less customers so to get the spectrum he said that he can Offer Rs1500Cr. for that ...now can u offer rs 1500CR for that not Rs 1500/-

[TCP/IP 0]

What band is needed for providing EvDO services?

Would this policy favour the birth of EvDo services in India?

[TCP/IP 0]

With the spectrum policy that was announced, is it possible for Reliance to launch EvDO?

<< Topic merged/moved to appropriate topic/forum

Edited September 7, 2005 by Arun

[vb86 0]

it has been fwded to DOT who is yet to pass it.

[@ksh@T 20]

but guys day bfr yesterday i had seen on CNBC a news scrolling that Govt has set up a joint commitee which will include delegates from CDMA and GSM group which will give report by Dec end so guys wait till that time coz spectrum allocation will be done after that

[TCP/IP 0]

Okay. December isn't so far away from now. So, it is not necessary for 1900 band to provide EvDo then? Or is 2Ghz better?

[@ksh@T 20]

ITS OFFICIAL NOW

GoM to settle CDMA, GSM operators row

IN ORDER to resolve the spectrum dispute between the CDMA and GSM mobile operators, the Planning Commission has recommended setting up a group of ministers (GoM). The GoM would suggest modalities to vacate spectrum from the defence and other government agencies. The spectrum thus released would be allocated to the telecom operators. Defence minister, Communications minister, and finance minister are expected to be members of the GoM.

Defence forces occupy a significant part of the spectrum. Armed forced use old technology equipment in some segments. These equipment are not spectrum efficient. Planning commission has pointed out that the defence forces may have to change the old equipment deployed so that they can release the required spectrum.

The proposed group of ministers would estimate the investment required for this purpose.”The basic requirement from this group will have to be to make necessary funds available to the ministry of defence in particular for replacement of analogue/old equipment with more spectrally efficient equipment. Besides, to ensure that the time taken for procurement of defence equipment is curtailed drastically and the entire project is completed in a time bound manner, i.e., by March 2007,” says the planning commission. Planning commission has pointed out that spectrum is the scarcest of resources. Available spectrum has already been utilised in major urban centres with a result that spectrum is tending to be a major constraint in maintaining the high growth rate of cellular mobile services in the urban areas. “The spectrum availability needs to be adequately increased by both more efficient utilisation by the existing operators and services and by release of spare spectrum by modernisation and upgradation of equipment,” notes the planning commission.

Department of telecommunications (DoT) is currently formulating the spectrum policy. Both CDMA and GSM operators are at loggerhead over the allocation of spectrum. GSM operators claim that CDMA technology is spectrum efficient. Therefore, CDMA operators require less spectrum to cater to the same number of subscribers. GSM operators have pleaded with the government that they should be allocated more spectrum.

but dec. isnt mentioned......does ne1 has more info do popst it

[Arun 795]

The battle for spectrum - the tug of war between GSM & CDMA operators !

Fresh initiative to end spectrum spat

New Delhi, Sept. 6:

The communications ministry has set up a joint working group of mobile operators to resolve the contentious issues of spectrum allocation, access deficit charge, point of interconnection and other spectrum-related clearances.

Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran will head the panel. Reliance, Tata and the Association of Unified Service Providers of India will represent the CDMA (code division multiple access) operators. The GSM (global system of mobile communications) operators will be represented by Bharti, Hutch and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

The group will be formed by the end of this month and is expected to submit its report by December end.

Both CDMA and GSM operators want a revenue-sharing arrangement in lieu of the access deficit charge (ADC). It is a charge operators pay to compensate service providers for offering services at a lower cost to meet social obligations set by the government, like offering telephones in rural and inaccessible areas at a higher infrastructure cost.

The COAI and other GSM operators met Maran and sought an “equitable” distribution of spectrum.

COAI director-general T.V. Ramachandran said, “There are many issues that will be taken up, but the important one is allocation of spectrum because we (operators) are choking in many areas.”

Spectrum are airwaves, on which calls and data travel.

“The minister has asked for a proposal on revenue sharing in lieu of the ADC and we will have to sit together to evolve a solution. The minister wants all these contentious issue to be resolved by December,” Ramachandran said.

He also emphasised upon a quick roll out of networks in rural areas.

“We have got a clear message from the minister that the government is ready to move to a revenue-share arrangement and that all issues coming in the way of achieving the 250-million telephone subscriber target will get his urgent attention,” said Bharti group chief Sunil B. Mittal.

COAI will propose a hybrid revenue sharing model, which will put the higher load of the ADC burden on incoming international long distance calls and its operators, while Indian consumers and operators would be protected.

“We will place this issue before the minister as a part of the joint working group,” Ramachandran said.

Commenting on the possible discord between CDMA and GSM operators, Mittal said, “The industry is mature today. It can sort out these issues under the leadership of the minister. I am confident an equitable solution will be found to make both sides happy.”

Battle for spectrum turns raucous

M. RAJENDRAN 

New Delhi, Sept. 7:

Mobile operators, led by Bharti and Hutch, have complained to communications minister Dayanidhi Maran that they would face an additional investment burden of Rs 3,000 crore if the government decides to allocate additional spectrum to operators like Reliance and Tata.

Spectrum represents airwaves on which calls and data travel.

The war over spectrum allocation between operators using code division multiple access (CDMA) like Reliance and Tata and those using global system for mobile communications (GSM) like Bharti and Hutch reached Maran’s office yesterday.

It prompted the minister to immediately set up a joint working group to sift through the claims and counter-claims in what is turning out to be a pretty raucous debate.

Before that, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and the Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (Auspi) — the rival forums that represent GSM and CDMA operators respectively — had made presentations to the communications minister to buttress their arguments.

In its presentation last week, Auspi did not focus on any monetary loss and highlighted the fact that it had been given a raw deal in allocation of spectrum when the CDMA operators migrated from a single licence system.

However, COAI said GSM operators were being asked to shoulder an unfair cost burden in terms of additional capital expenditure in setting up extra cell sites.

“In Delhi alone, each large GSM operator has made an additional capital expenditure of about Rs 200 crore to Rs 250 crore and each GSM operator in the capital is spending about Rs 4 to 5 crore per month on operational expenses,” the COAI told Maran in its presentation.

The presentation claimed that the total additional cost per GSM operator in Delhi would exceed Rs 125 crore a year.

COAI also told Maran that it was important that both GSM and CDMA operators should make equal efforts to maximise the capacity of their assigned spectrum, and further assignments should be made only after ensuring optimal utilisation of existing assignments

Contesting the claim, Auspi has told the minister that spectrum charges have never been linked to subscriber numbers. “This misinformation has been spread by a certain section within the industry (read COAI), which has always strived to derail progress in the telecom sector. Spectrum charges have always been fixed for a particular quantum of spectrum. This has been the government’s policy and clearly mentioned in their order,” said S.C. Khanna, secretary-general of Auspi.

The cellular operators, on the other hand, have strongly opposed any additional allocation of spectrum to CDMA operators as this would give them a backdoor entry in third generation (3G) services.

Freeze sought on spectrum - DoT seeks uniform policy on spectrum first. 

Joji Thomas Philip / New Delhi September 9, 2005

 

The wireless planning cell of the department of telecommunications (DoT) has sought a freeze on further spectrum allocation to mobile phone service providers until a policy is in place. 

 

“It has been recommended that no further spectrum be made available to telecom operators till the issue regarding criteria and spectrum efficiency of the two technologies is resolved,” said a DoT official. The wireless planning cell sent its recommendations to the DoT yesterday. 

 

The move can restrict CDMA and GSM operators from rolling out telecom services of any kind in new towns. “If the government is serious about the move, it will put the expansion plans of all operators on hold till December, when the policy is likely to be ready,” said an executive with a private telecom player. 

 

The move comes a day after Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran proposed the setting up of a high-power group consisting of GSM and CDMA operators to settle all controversial issues, including the spectrum policy. 

 

Besides DoT officials, this joint working group, to be chaired by Maran, will include Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd Chairman AK Sinha, Bharti Tele-Ventures Chairman Sunil Mittal, Reliance Infocomm Chairman Anil Ambani and Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata. 

 

However, the planning commission, in its mid-term appraisal, had advocated the creation of a group of ministers (GoM) to address the tussle between GSM and CDMA operators on spectrum allocation. 

 

This is also in line with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's recommendation in May, that a GoM be constituted to address the issue of spectrum allocation. 

 

The minister will be in the US this month. The first meeting of the joint working group is likely to take place in October. Even if the battle for spectrum is resolved in a month, the policy can be in place only by December.

[Arun 795]

Spectrum war continues between GSM, CDMA operators

New Delhi, Sep 13 - Press Trust of India

Amid the ongoing controversy over spectrum allocation to cellular operators, there seems to be a tug of war of sorts between GSM and CDMA-based operators over quantity and pricing of spectrum.

CDMA operators' association AUSPI, whose members include Reliance Infocomm and Tata Tele-Services, today demanded that spectrum allocation to GSM operators be halved to 5 Mhz equivalent to what has been allocated to them to have a level playing field between two types of technologies.

In a strongly worded letter to Telecom Secretary J S Sarma, Association of Unfified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI) alleged that their GSM counterpart Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) was "misleading" the government by saying that they have been paying double the spectrum charges.

COAI's members include players like Bharti, Hutch and Idea.

"However, they (COAI) also admit that they have twice the spectrum for the same subscriber base as compared to CDMA operators," AUSPI said.

According to AUSPI, government has a clear cut policy for both allocation of spectrum and for the manner in which it will levy a charge for it. Spectrum charges have never been linked to subscriber numbers.

"Spectrum charges have always been fixed for a particular quantum of spectrum. This is the government policy and clearly mentioned in the relevant order," AUSPI said adding therefore, since the GSM operators have been allocated 10 MHz of spectrum the corresponding charges (4 per cent) are extaly in line with spectrum policy," they said.

[@ksh@T 20]

Guys The Real War has started Now..Listen..Read what The BIG PPL hav 2 say abt spectrumm

T V RAMACHANDRAN Director General COAI

    SPECTRUM,measured in MHz, is the raw material used to offer cellular mobile services. This spectrum is used by different technologies in different ways, to offer their end-product which is airtime. The overall success of a technology depends upon a number of factors. For example, GSM is the most successful mobile technology, accounting for 75% of the total global mobile subscribers and around 80% of the monthly subscriber additions.

    However, among its various characteristics, CDMA technology has a spectral characteristic that gives it a five times higher subscriber carrying capacity as compared to GSM. This higher subscriber capacity of CDMA spectrum is well established and in fact is also repeatedly emphasised by all CDMA stakeholders, on their websites, in presentations and even in court.

    Thus in India, CDMA players have been given 25 MHz of GSM equivalent spectrum. It should now be easy to understand, why GSM is starved of spectrum at allotments of 6.2-10 MHz, whilst the CDMA operators are sitting pretty with equivalent 25MHz. However, the current spectrum allotment criteria discriminates against GSM operators as it equates 5 MHz of CDMA spectrum with 10MHz of GSM spectrum (instead of 25MHz of GSM spectrum), thus giving GSM operators relatively far lower equivalent spectrum to offer their mobile services.

    The GSM industry feels that spectrum being a precious and limited resource, each operator should be required to fully utilise his existing allotments before seeking additional spectrum. Optimal use of spectrum is also mandated under licence. CDMA operators who are seeking additional spectrum without fully utilising their existing allotments are also violating the terms of their licence.

    Spectrum capacity is generated by setting up cell sites (towers) which allow the spectrum to be re-used in order to carry more traffic. The five times higher capacity that CDMA spectrum is capable of can only be generated if CDMA operators set up equal number of cellsites as the GSM operators. But CDMA operators are reluctant to set up more cellsites as this would entail additional capital and operating expenditure, which CDMA operators do not want to incur, CDMA operators would rather run their networks at one-fifth the capacity and gain a financial advantage over their competitors. This would automatically tilt the playing field in favour of CDMA operators.

    The demand for CDMA operators for equal spectrum is untenable because not only is it contrary to technical considerations, which clearly establish the five times higher capacity of CDMA, but is also in violation of the national fundamental objective to use spectrum optimally and efficiently, as enunciated in the National Telecom Policy 1999 and the National Frequency Allocation Plan 2002 which lays down the spectrum policy of the government. Furthermore, the demand for equal spectrum is also in violation of licence conditions, which stipulate different spectrum allotments for GSM and CDMA operators.

    Moreover, under the present mobile licensing regime, spectrum is not priced separately, but rather, it has been bundled along with the licence. There is a certain minimum spectrum that is allotted along with the licence. This is 4.4MHz for GSM and 2.5MHz for CDMA. Clause 43.5(ii) of the UAS licence specifies/ stipulates that “additional spectrum beyond the above stipulation may also be considered for allocation after ensuring optimal and efficient utilisation of the already allocated spectrum taking into account all types of traffic and guidelines/criteria prescribed from time to time…”

    Of course there is a usage charge that is paid by operators as a percentage of their revenues and this pricing should be the same for the same revenues generated by the operators. But here too, like in the case of spectrum allotment, there is discrimination against the GSM operators.

    For a subscriber base of 10 lakh, GSM operators pay 4% usage charges, while CDMA operators pay only 2%. Mobile subscribers are independent of technology and they generate the same revenues whether the mobile phone they use is GSM or CDMA. Why then are GSM operators and their consumers being penalised by being made to pay double the charges of CDMA?

KANWALINDER SINGH President Qualcomm India & SAARC

    CDMA’s contribution to India’s mobile industry has been significant. Ever since wireless carriers introduced CDMA in India, mobile adoption has grown at a phenomenal rate. Between the end of 2001 and 2004 the number of mobile subscribers grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 107%, increasing nearly tenfold from 5.7 million to 51.9 million. CDMAbased operators initiated greater competition, succeeded in driving voice tariffs to the lowest in the world, and have set the benchmark for innovative value-added services.

    Driven by its 79-member standards body, 3GPP2, CDMA is setting the pace for next-generation wireless networks worldwide. Qualcomm, the pioneer in CDMA spread spectrum technology, advocates equal criteria for spectrum allocation to both CDMA and GSM operators in India. If the Indian government’s goal of reaching 250 million subscribers by 2007 requires subscriber-based spectrum allocation, we ask that subscriber criteria be the same for CDMA and GSM operators. Qualcomm supports equal spectrum charges for equal spectrum allocation. We advocate GSM evolution to WCDMA, which enables GSM operators to achieve similar spectral efficiency and revenue generating services as CDMA operators. Qualcomm asks that both CDMA and GSM operators be given flexibility in deciding which technology and/ or services should be deployed in their allocated spectrum.

    Non-discriminatory spectrum allocation policies and flexibility to deploy advanced services are common international best practices. Verizon, Sprint, and Cingular in the US, KDDI and NTT DoCoMo in Japan, SK Telecom and KTF in Korea, and China Unicom and China Telecom in China have benefited from such practices. The level-playing field these create has caused explosive growth of advanced wireless services in these countries as operators compete for consumer business. Indian operators Reliance Infocomm, Tata Teleservices, BSNL/MTNL, Bharti, and Hutch can achieve similar results under the same conditions.

    Unfortunately, the current spectrum policy in India severely disadvantages CDMA operators compared to their GSM counterparts. CDMA operators have been assigned less than half the spectrum assigned to GSM operators. After the initial allocation, the incremental spectrum allocation for CDMA is also half the amount allocated to GSM operators. This unequal spectrum allocation stifles competition and proliferation of value-added services. It also creates a disincentive for GSM operators to adopt technologies that can make their networks as efficient as those of their CDMA counter-parts.

    The situation is aggravated by a GSM operator association argument that since CDMA is relatively more efficient in its use of spectrum than GSM, CDMA operators should be given less spectrum. This same association has demanded that CDMA operators be prevented from offering valueadded services until GSM operators are ready to do the same with WCDMA.

    The arguments are so ludicrous that they are best explained by the following analogy. Imagine there are two cars — one with higher fuel efficiency than the other. The more fuel efficient car also offers value-added features such as air conditioning, music and navigation systems, which enhance the consumer experience. To “level the playing field,” a transportation policy is proposed that more fuel-efficient cars be rationed half the fuel and be required to stop twice as often to fuel up. Further, the makers of less fuel-efficient cars demand that the efficient cars be rationed one-fifth the fuel since their analysis shows that their cars are actually five times less efficient. Finally, the less efficient car manufacturers demand that air conditioning be banned since that would create an unfair advantage for their competition.

    Policies must foster an ecosystem that rewards innovation, efficiency, and competitive forces working in the best interest of the consumer. No other country in the world has based spectrum policy on relative efficiencies of technologies. No other country has delayed deployment of value-added services in order to give an inefficient provider time to catch up with its competition. The Indian government should adopt a technology-neutral spectrum policy and let market forces take over.

R N AGARWAL Former Wireless Adviser Government of India*

    MOBILEservices in the public domain started in the country about a decade back. Availability of appropriate radio frequency spectrum for such services is an essential prerequisite as mobility requires the medium of wireless. There has been continual growth of mobile servicessince its inception in terms of volume andapplications. Needless to say that demands on the spectrum are continually increasing to cope up with this growth.

    However, radio frequency spectrum is a limited natural resource and its use is governed by the laws of physics. Furthermore, the spectrum is required to support many types of wireless services in a variety of domains for a very large number of applications. Availability of adequate spectrum for the mobile services has always been a bone of contention, but so is the case with all types of wireless services.

    Current criterion for making available the spectrum for mobile services is based on the concept of subscriber base. Requirement of frequencies is dependent on various factors. These include, inter alia, geographical terrain, climatic conditions, propagation characteristics, number of subscribers, number of base stations, use of technologies, exploitation of technical solutions for optimal and efficient utilisation of the spectrum, area of operation, financial viability, traffic data and pattern of distribution of traffic. Spectrumutilisation efficiency of the system also plays a significant role which is different for different technologies. Nevertheless, radio frequency spectrum has dimensions of space and time and frequency utilisation is area specific. Assignment of frequencies is need based.

    Most parts of the country have no problem of spectrum availability; rather the available spectrum is not even being fully used, nor is there need for the total earmarked spectrum in such areas. Additional requirement of the spectrum is predominantly in specific areas, such as, metros, big cities and areas where subscriber base is large and traffic density is high. Even in such areas the requirements may be in certain hot spots and not necessarily on an overall basis. The current criterion of subscriber base is a generalised practical mechanism, evolved taking into account other relevant factors. While it may not be fool-proof, it poses no serious problem in most of the cases. The quantum of subscriber base criteria may, however, need to be reviewed at appropriate times. It may be prudent to have detailed critical analysis of other relevant factors in the areas of concern for finding solutions for additional requirements on sectorial basis.

    Giving equal spectrum to all players using different technologies does not make much sense. Every technology has its own technological characteristics and requirements. For instance, GSM technology uses a carrier of 200 KHz and CDMA a carrier of 1.25 MHz and if GSM is using only three carriers amounting to 600 KHz in certain area, it would mean that CDMA should also be given 600KHz only; and conversely if CDMA is using one carrier of 1.25 MHz in certain area, GSM should also be given 1.25 MHz, even though the requirement is only for 600 KHz.

    In such situations, either the system cannot operate because of lesser bandwidth or the spectrum will be wasted. System requirements of various technologies will need to be met, based on their own characteristics and not based on the comparison with other technologies. Concepts of equal and technological neutralities have many other pitfalls.

    Since the demand on the spectrum to sustain large variety of services and applications is extremely high, it is essential that the spectrum is used most efficiently and optimally. There are many technological methodologies and solutions to increase the efficiency of the spectrum utilisation. Appropriate pricing of the spectrum is one of the tools to increase the efficiency. Pricing structure has to have pragmatic relationship with costs of infrastructure and other forms of communications. While very high pricing of the spectrum will be detrimental to providing affordable services, low pricing will lead to inefficient use of spectrum which will not only put undue pressure on the spectrum, but will also eventually deny appropriate growth of services and legitimate benefits to society.

    (*Also member, Radio Regulations Board,

    International Telecommunication Union)

Edited September 20, 2005 by akshatdesijallad

[@ksh@T 20]

t’s A War Of SPECTRUM

As spectrum is scarce, the camp that gets more will grow & also limit the other’s expansion

K Yatish Rajawat MUMBAI 19 SEPTEMBER

WHEN things get tough and the lobbyist can’t get his way, technology comes to the rescue. Technology helps him obfuscate facts, twist numbers and figures and shift the debate in anybody’s favour.

Successful lobbyists have done this over years, hoodwinking courts, government and bureaucrats the world over. Currently, two opposing users of technology are using every trick in the book to wrest what can be called a national resource from the government.

Radio frequency spectrum is a national resource which is limited, and how the government uses it will determine how much teledensity is reached through the wireless route in India. Now, the two lobbies — CDMA and GSM telephone network operators — are at loggerheads to see which camp gains the most. The spectrum is limited, and determines the capacity of operators to serve more subscribers. The camp which succeeds and is able to get more spectrum, will not only be able to grow but will be able to limit the future expansion of the other camp in the long run.

The GSM lobby says it has been using spectrum more efficiently as it has more cell sites, so if the government wants to meet its target of teledensity it should allot further spectrum to GSM operators.

The CDMA lobby, which started this debate, got spectrum allotted by stating that their technology is a much more efficient user of the spectrum. The reality lies somewhere in between.

First of all, number of cell sites or the lack of them is not a direct reflection of the efficiency of use of spectrum, as the GSM operators would like to propound. Both technologies use the spectrum in different manners, moreover their cell sites and the number of subscribers they serve also varies. Second, CDMA is not necessarily the most efficient user of spectrum, its efficiency is related to topography and peaks and erodes with rising subscriber base. Code Division Multiplex Access (CDMA) technology which means that it is a broadcast technology which is encrypted. The broadcast can only be decoded by the user for whom it is intended. As CDMA uses a broadcast over the whole spectrum allotted to it, it is perceived to be a more efficient user of the spectrum, says Dr Eshawar Pittampalli, Bell Laboratory Research fellow. Now because the signal is coded for each subscriber, the number of subscribers that each cell site in CDMA supports is generally larger, which gives rise to the claim that it is the more efficient user of the spectrum. In CDMA, the broadcast from the base station is not limited by distance and loses its power only with natural barriers or other radio interference.

GSM base station at the cell sites use only a portion of the spectrum allotted to them and can cover a limited distance. When the number of subscribers increases in a geographic area, GSM operators increases the number of cell sites. To avoid interference among the cell sites it limits the distance each one covers. GSM operators can keep increasing the number of cell sites as long as they don’t create interference with each other. As it is able to limit the distance covered and uses only a portion of the spectrum it has far greater flexibility and can use larger

number of cell sites in a single location.

When the number of subscribers go up for a CDMA operator in a geographical location, he can also increase the number of cell sites. The biggest limitation in increasing cell sites for a CDMA operator is interference with other cell sites. As CDMA uses broadcast and is not limited by distance, and he cannot alter the distance of its base station he cannot add as many cell sites as a GSM operator.

CDMA operators after they reach saturation in an area cannot always grow by adding another cell site. The peak number of cell sites and subscribers is reached faster by a CDMA operator, the only way left from him is to get additional frequency in the spectrum allotted.

Now, if beyond a point a CDMA operator cannot grow if he does not get spectrum. And if he is allotted that spectrum it is taking away growth from the GSM operator, the government needs to move beyond technology. Other countries’ experience with spectrum has been more technology neutral and sometimes tilted in favour of earning maximum capital out of it. In India, this issue has never been raised to that level. Micromanagement of the spectrum allotment harks back to license raj of control for capacity expansion. An auction of the spectrum frequency will determine the right price.

[RajanPERT 0]

Very Very thanks to akshatdesijallad for their R & D on this issue.

Thanks again and Take Care!

[@ksh@T 20]

but guys i have seen one thing in this battle...i dont know what the hell does is AUSPI is for..That TV ramchandaran always starts slamming the cdma operators ..and the auspi has no BLUDDY media face or something like that..i think the AUSPI need to come out and start Reorganising the CDMA operators.....like TATA..and RELIANCE and start their own media face.....

HEy auspi member if yoiu are reading this.......Thgen Concentrate on what i had written

[@ksh@T 20]

guys today read in newspaper......DOT is calling all the major telecom operators in a meeting to discuss the spectrum issue.....all will be there...Lil Ambani...Big Mittal....Hutchs...ideas...every1...keep a view on them ...dont they start fight in the meeting

[@ksh@T 20]

Spectrum Issue to be taken to defence:

the spectrum management issue is set to be taken up by the parliamentary standing comitee on Information Technology and disscuss the mater with telecom operators, DOT and defence ministry.to begin the defence ministry will place its views on spectrum issue before the COAI, AUSPI and Telecom operators..after that all the above wil present their each's presentations.

[linuxguy 0]

I think the operators should buy the spectrum by bidding

[@ksh@T 20]

yes me 2 have the same opinion..otherwise RIM will left behind..as lil ambani is cutting costs is he cutng cost to bid for spectrum