The spectrum committee meeting at the Department of Telecommunications is learnt to have remained inconclusive on Thursday.
Panel to meet again on Monday
NEW DELHI: The spectrum committee meeting at the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is learnt to have remained inconclusive on Thursday. The body will meet again on Monday to deliberate on the norms for allocation of spectrum.
Two sets of norms are being debated right now - recommendation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and that of the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC). While the Trai criteria are tougher than the current allocation norms, the TEC specifications are even more stringent.
Global system for mobile communications (GSM) players are opposed to the TEC-specified subscriber-linked allocation norms, while code division multiple access (CDMA) firms favour the same.
GSM and CDMA players, mainly Bharti (GSM) and Reliance Communications (CDMA), have been locked in a war of words over the spectrum or the airwaves issue. Recently, even Tata Teleservices (CDMA) backed Reliance Communications on the matter. Both RCom and Tatas are keen on getting into GSM as well. While RCom already has the government’s permission for offering GSM services, Tatas have applied for it.
In a TV interview on Thursday, Tata group chairman Ratan Tata confirmed that Tata Teleservices is keen on offering both GSM and CDMA services.
On speculations that Tata Teleservices’ application for GSM may not be considered by the government, Ratan Tata refused to comment. “We should wait and see what happens first,” he told the channel.
CDMA players should not be penalised for using a more efficient technology, he said, referring to the 2:1 spectrum allocation criteria in favour of GSM players. The Tata chief, though, is yet to join the race to seek the Prime Minister’s intervention in the matter. RCom chairman Anil Ambani has been consistently writing letters to the Prime Minister, urging him to intervene in the matter for a level-playing field.
Chairman of the GSM biggie Bharti, Sunil Mittal, has also been seeking level-playing field. In an interesting statement, a Bharti spokesperson had recently said that “some of our detractors” must understand that equal opportunity to succeed should be available to everyone.
In yet another letter on Thursday, Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi wrote to the PM saying the “scientific and technically viable” TEC norms should be adopted for allocation of spectrum to all operators, thereby backing CDMA players. Shiv Sena has pushed for a level playing field for all operators - old and new.
The party’s views have changed on the spectrum issue. In its previous letter on spectrum, it had said, “an increase in the subscriber linkage by as much as 800% in the revised criteria that was reviewed only last year, indicates that the objective is not to ensure spectrum efficiency but rather to ensure spectrum deficiency for the existing GSM operators.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}