Lobbying irks Qualcomm

US-based Qualcomm, which develops code-division multiple access technology (CDMA), has expressed concern to the Indian government on "the lobbying efforts of some parties to have spectrum for 3G services exclusively allotted on the 2100 MHz band".

"This (lobbying) is a bid to continue the unequal spectrum allocation to CDMA operators based on the theoretical efficient criteria. Doing so would be inconsistent with the principles of service and technology neutrality of the regulator's recommendations," Qualcomm wrote to the ministry of communications and IT.

In May, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had recommended that CDMA operators be granted additional spectrum in the 800 MHz frequency and the 450 MHz band be opened to them, while GSM players were granted spectrum in the 1800 MHz frequency.

Trai also said the IMT-2000 2 GHz band, when available, would be open to both operators on both technological platforms.

While CDMA operators can provide 3G services with the additional allocation in the 800 MHZ, GSM operators will have to wait until the IMT-2000 2 GHz band is vacated by the defence services to offer the same.

As this band will be available to both technological platforms in 2006, GSM operators are believed to have requested that 3G be allowed only on this frequency.

The US company also said that under the the current subscriber based system, the spectrum to CDMA players was "well below international averages and that was allocated to GSM operators in India".

Trai had also recommended that the current subscriber based spectrum allocation criteria be revised and a technology neutral approach be adopted.

"Failure to adopt Trai's recommendations will perpetuate the current discrimination in favour of GSM, reward GSM technology for its relative inefficiency, and prevent CDMA operators from contributing to the government's 200 million subscriber target. In addition, once GSM operators migrate to WCDMA in the 900 MHz and/or 1800 MHz bands in the future, they will end up with two to three times more spectrum with a similarly efficient technology, which would upset the level playing field," Qualcomm said.

Qualcomm has also urged the government to "immediately allocate available spectrum in the 800 MHz band to CDMA operators, and allow them to use commercially available versions of the CDMA2000 standard including EV-DO, and incorporate the principles of service and technology neutrality into its Spectrum Policy".

"It is our hope that the Indian government will carefully consider our comments filed when making its final decision," the communication added.