Government to allot radio frequency to all existing payers
Friday, 11 January 2008, 17:03 IST
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New Delhi: In a bid to end the full-blown war among mobile telecom players in the country, the communications ministry has decided to allot scarce spectrum to all existing players, irrespective of the technology they use. A day after the government told an industry tribunal that there was no dearth of spectrum, or radio frequency, for mobile phone operators, it decided to extend it to existing players to expand their services. The burning issue, that has seen mobile operators move not just the tribunal but also the Delhi High Court, had divided the industry between those offering their services using CDMA and GSM technologies. Communications Minister A. Raja has given his consent to the proposal that will see spectrum being released to both GSM players like Aircel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone-Essar and CDMA major Reliance Communications, which is also eyeing the GSM segment, ministry officials said. The minister is believed to have desired that existing GSM operators, then CDMA players, followed by new entrants in the country's mobile telephony industry be allotted radio frequencies in that order. A day earlier, the government told the industry tribunal that enough radio frequencies would be available to mobile phone operators after allocation of scarce spectrum to the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications. "It's absolutely nonsense that after giving spectrum to Reliance Communications no spectrum would be left," Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati told the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). Appearing on behalf of the government, he said this will be conclusively proved during the next hearing Jan 24. Vahanvati's reply came when TDSAT Chairman Arun Kumar wanted the government to file a reply on the report of a committee set up by the Telecommunications Engineering Centre, which oversees telecom spectrum in the country.
Source: IANS
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