GSM lobby claims eGSM band

TELECOM TANGLE

Upping the ante against CDMA operators, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has shot off a letter to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) seeking re-farming of eGSM band for the GSM operators.

The association has also mentioned that GSM operators have the first right to this spectrum.

The spectrum band of 880-890 MHz paired with 925-935 MHz is colloquially known as extended GSM or eGSM band and is globally used by GSM operators.

All GSM equipment manufactured worldwide is attuned to operating in this band, the GSM operators body said in a letter addressed to DoT Secretary and Telecom Commission Chairman Siddhartha Behura.

In India, however, this band has been "incorrectly and inadvertently earmarked for Wireless in Local Loop (WLL) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) applications and is now earmarked for CDMA-based mobile services," COAI alleged.

The GSM operators have been making repeated submissions to the DoT to re-farm this spectrum and make it available for GSM-based mobile services. All the equipment used by the Indian GSM operators since 1994 had already attuned to offer mobile services in this band.

These were also brought to the notice of the DoT in 2003 and at various National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) meetings. Despite these, the DoT has continued to earmark this band for CDMA-based services.

"In any event, it is submitted that if and when the eGSM spectrum is made available by the DoT for GSM-based mobile services, then it would be the incumbent GSM operators who have been repeatedly seeking access to this spectrum that will have the first right to this spectrum," it said.

The COAI has also accused a large CDMA operator of seeking to swap its present 1,800 MHz band with the eGSM band, which is "completely untenable and cannot be entertained".

The association has also said that the re-farming of the eGSM band is a policy matter and must be done transparently and equitably and cannot be a matter of bilateral agreements between one set of operators and the government.