Indian telecom service providers — Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular – may move the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) this week, to postpone the 3G spectrum auction.
The three leading operators want the department of telecommunications (DoT) to resolve issues relating to disturbances in the band before starting the 3G auctions, Financial Express reported. They feel that any immediate action by DoT will result into better customer experience to their 3G customers. Currently, many 3G customers are already complaining about poor data speed and network coverage.
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The telecom spectrum is slated for the first week of March. DoT has decided to conduct the spectrum auction to sell 5 MHz in the 2100 MHz across 17 telecom circles. Earlier, several telecoms have expressed their in-convenience in purchasing 5 MHz since poor spectrum quality will impact the customer experience
The report said the problem lies with the PCS band in 1900 MHz, used by Pakistan, whose downlink moves across the border and disturbs the uplink in the 2100 MHz band used by Indian operators. As there was no spectrum at the time of the 3G auctions in 2010, the DoT had promised the operators it would change the spectrum bands for Indian mobile operators once it got fresh spectrum.
Telecoms feel that there can be significant disturbances from Pakistan in the border circles of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Mobile operators want DoT to first change their bands with a fresh 3G spectrum and auction the balance as it had promised. If TDSAT accepts the plea of Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India, it will negatively impact the spectrum target set by the telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
It may be noted that several operators have moved different High Courts seeking a restraint on auctions of 2G spectrum till their issues relating to the Notice Inviting Applications is not resolved. The DoT is understood to have moved the Supreme Court urging that auctions should not be stayed.
Meanwhile, Sistema Shyam TeleServices (MTS India) today said its plea related to CDMA spectrum before TDSAT is listed for hearing on February 18. MTS earlier sought direction against the DoT for reassignment / rearrangement of the blocks / frequencies of liberalized spectrum allotted to SSTL during the auction held in March, 2013 in 8 circles for its CDMA services.
