RCom flays govt move on spectrum

TELECOM TANGLE

Reliance Communications (RCom) has flayed the Department of Telecommunications' (DoT's) decision to accept the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (Trai's) norms for allotment of additional spectrum.

In a statement, the Anil Ambani-controlled company stated that the DoT has succumbed to the "pressure tactics" of private GSM operators and the concessions to GSM operators were "unnecessary and unwarranted".

The Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) "has not considered several spectrally efficient techniques" while recommending norms for spectrum allocation.

The committee, set up by the DoT while recommending Trai norms as an interim measure, has also opined that TEC numbers will increase further if all the technology enhancements are taken into account.

RCom was responding to a decision by the government to file an affidavit in the Delhi High Court, accepting Trai's recommendations and commence awarding of spectrum to mobile operators.

Alleging private GSM operators of cornering excess spectrum of over 50 MHz across circles, Reliance Communications stated that further concession "is in the wrong direction".

The concession will enable dominant private GSM operators to further enjoy excess spectrum for which they are not eligible and are getting it free. The DoT's move does not recognise that spectrum is a scarce resource and must be used optimally and efficiently, it said.

The Anil Ambani group company also stated that the DoT has not addressed the issue of return and re-farming of spectrum and thereby allowing dominant private GSM operators to continue to enjoy excess and premium 900 MHz spectrum.

Meanwhile, some of the new telecom applicants termed the government move as a compromise, saying the norms suggested by the TEC were on the scientific basis and should have been implemented in toto.

They also raised the issue of GSM operators hoarding spectrum beyond their contractual limit of 6.2 MHz.