Telecom Lead India: Infotel Broadband Services, a
Reliance Industries company, said TRAI should initiate an exercise to
assess the availability of 700MHz spectrum in 22 circles and can start a fresh
and separate consultation process to decide issues including finalization of
the Band Plans for sub-1GHz bands.
In a note to TRAI, the Reliance Industries broadband
arm, has suggested a 3-step auction process.
Infotel Broadband Services, a BWA licensee, said: The
procedure for auction of spectrum in 1800 MHz band for 2G services should be
framed up first and foremost. This will address the directive of the Supreme
Court and offer a fair opportunity to the parties whose licenses are to be
cancelled and spectrum to be revoked. These players have to ensure
uninterrupted services to their customers as well as protect their investments.
In case of 800 MHz which is recognized as digital dividend
band, only that many blocks of 2.5MHz of 800 MHz spectrum may be auctioned for
CDMA services to comply with the Supreme Court judgment. Meanwhile, the
Department of Telecommunications may be asked to explore
opportunities/substitutes in other bands like 1900 MHz band for provision of
CDMA services.
Thereafter, the digital dividend bands i.e. 800MHz &
900MHz bands should be totally refarmed and liberalized for broader usage
including provision of IMT advanced services, in line with the international
practices.
In the interim, the Authority should initiate the exercise
to ascertain the exact availability of spectrum in 700MHz in each of the 22
circles and can start separate public consultation process to decide upon
various issues including the finalization of the band plans for sub-1GHz bands,
according to the recommendation.
Then, the spectrum in 700, 800, and 900MHz may be put to
auction simultaneously with mutually exclusive clause on spectrum holding. The
spectrum in 700MHz, 800MHz, and 900MHz should be allocated on mutually
exclusive basis. The spectrum cap for these bands should be set at the time of
auctions of these bands.
Further, these bands can be put to auction simultaneously
like 3G and BWA services, open for all existing and new operators. This will
provide equal chance for all, ensure level playing field to all operators in
terms of time to market and access to the highly efficient bands, no operator
will be at advantageous position on account of legacy allocation.
The Reliance Industries firm has bagged 22 BWA licenses
across the country in 2010 and will be launching TD LTE services in late 2012.
