The Telecom Commission, which is part of India’s Department of Telecommunications, has agreed to authorise mobile operators to share spectrum.
But so far, this only applies to 2G frequencies, according to the Economic Times. No mention has been made…
The Telecom Commission, which is part of India’s Department of Telecommunications, has agreed to authorise mobile operators to share spectrum.
But so far, this only applies to 2G frequencies, according to the Economic Times. No mention has been made of 3G frequencies.
Telcos were reportedly hoping that 3G spectrum sharing would also be allowed after having been embroiled in a dispute with the telecom ministry over 3G roaming deals.
In early November, the CEOs of Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Tata Teleservices and Vodafone India had asked telecom minister Kapil Sibal to clarify uncertainties regarding 3G intra circle roaming.
In a letter to the minister at the time, the CEOs strongly criticised suggestions that they are acting as MVNO’s, “given that we have full-fledged UASLs [Unified Access Service Licences] in all concerned service areas.”
In late December, the telecom ministry eventually decided that 3G roaming agreements were illegal. Subsequently, the companies went to court to appeal the decision, according to reports.
Concerning 2G spectrum sharing, a few conditions have been set including the obligation to renew sharing deals every five years and for both companies sharing spectrum to pay usage charges, explained the Economic Times.
The Telecom Commission was not immediately available for comment before the press deadline.
