Fight over 3G spectrum in India
August 2, 2004
India's CDMA mobile operators' application for a new band of airwaves for 3G services has angered the GSM camp in the country. Reliance and Tata have requested the government to allocate them spectrum in the 1900 MHz band.
GSM operators Bharti, Hutch, Idea, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam are opposing the proposal, saying it would interfere with their current mobile phone service and also block their migration to 3G services. The companies, through the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI), have also asked the government to reserve the radio frequency specifically for offering 3G services and not to allocate it to CDMA operators.
GSM operators need the 1900 band when they migrate to 3G UMTS networks. In a submission made to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India by COAI, "The allocation of the PCS 1900 band would not only result in a major interference to the services offered by operators using GSM technology but also block the progress of 30 million subscribers to 3G."
Interfere happens when the uplink for the 1900 band clash with the downlink in the 1800 band, which is allocated to GSM services. While the downlink for the 1900 band interferes with the IMT 2000, which is the uplink mode for 1920-1980 MHz paired with 2110 to 2170 Mhz (the core band identified by the ITU for 3G services).
CDMA operators are allowed to offer services using spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band but is seeking for the 1900 band instead. They say equipment for 1800 MHz is either not freely available or is very expensive and with the exception of South Korea most countries are deploying next generation CDMA services in 1900 MHz. In addition they said they are willing to share the band with GSM operators.
The GSM camp argues that a number of firms make equipment and handsets for the 1800 band. More importantly, 3G equipment for GSM is available only for the 1900 band and nowhere else.
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