DoT forms new panel to frame spectrum norms
The department of telecom (DoT) on Tuesday said that it was constituting a committee to formulate new spectrum allocation criteria norms.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: The department of telecom (DoT) on Tuesday said that it was constituting a committee to formulate new spectrum allocation criteria norms. The committee will review the recent report of the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC), which had proposed that tightening of existing norms by several multiple times.
Even as the DoT has given its ‘in-principle’ approval to the TEC’s report, this committee, which has representation from the industry and private operators, has been given the mandate to formulate new allocation guidelines.
Industry sources said that this was an attempt by the government to pacify leading GSM operators, who have challenged the TEC report as well as sector regulator’s Trai proposal on tightening the subscriber-linked spectrum allocation norms in the telecom tribunal. This is also evident from the fact that committee will come out with new norms that are ‘scientific and practicable’.
It remains to be seen if the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the body representing GSM operators, will withdraw its petition in telecom tribunal TDSAT. The committee will submit its report within three weeks for finalisation of spectrum allocation criterion for licenced operators, the DoT said.
At present, spectrum, the radio frequencies on which all mobile services operate, is allocated based on the number of subscribers that operators have in a particular circle. Just, last week, the TEC had recommended that telcos be mandated to increase their subscriber base between 4 to 15 times before they are granted additional spectrum.
Leading GSM operators challenged this report in TDSAT stating that the recommendations were not backed by scientific proof.
Even as the DoT has given its ‘in-principle’ approval to the TEC’s report, this committee, which has representation from the industry and private operators, has been given the mandate to formulate new allocation guidelines.
Industry sources said that this was an attempt by the government to pacify leading GSM operators, who have challenged the TEC report as well as sector regulator’s Trai proposal on tightening the subscriber-linked spectrum allocation norms in the telecom tribunal. This is also evident from the fact that committee will come out with new norms that are ‘scientific and practicable’.
It remains to be seen if the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the body representing GSM operators, will withdraw its petition in telecom tribunal TDSAT. The committee will submit its report within three weeks for finalisation of spectrum allocation criterion for licenced operators, the DoT said.
At present, spectrum, the radio frequencies on which all mobile services operate, is allocated based on the number of subscribers that operators have in a particular circle. Just, last week, the TEC had recommended that telcos be mandated to increase their subscriber base between 4 to 15 times before they are granted additional spectrum.
Leading GSM operators challenged this report in TDSAT stating that the recommendations were not backed by scientific proof.
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