Viewing the rapid revolution in the mobile sector, Telephone Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on May 02 has released a fresh consultation paper on spectrum allocation and its price.
TRAI has released this consultation paper for asking the comments on Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) pertaining the allocation and pricing of 2.3-2.4 GHz, 2.5-2.69 GHz bands and 3.3-3.6 GHz bands to all private mobile service provider, corporate companies seeking to enter in this sectors, several agencies and from public.
"The use of 2.3-2.4 GHz and 2.5-2.69 GHz band offers significant scope for innovation with the potential for induction of new technologies, services, applications and devices…..With the availability of mobile services in this band, it provides an important opportunity for the introduction of next generation mobile technologies," TRAI said.
TRAI has already permitted the allocation and pricing of 3G spectrum and broadband wireless access service on September 27, 2006. At that time, the spectrum for 2.3-2.4 GHz and 2.5 to 2.69 GHz was not available for allocation.
The other objectives of carrying this fresh consultation paper are: to re-classifying these bands by International Telecom Union Radio (ITU R), to establishing some correspondence between 3G mobile services and broadband wireless services and rapid changes came in the background of telecom sector.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recommended to include more number of frequency bands under the next generation wireless services category while the price difference between broadband wireless spectrum and third generation mobile services are huge. TRAI had recommended to have a maximum reserve price of Rs.10 crore for broadband wireless spectrum while for the third generation mobile service it was Rs. 80-crore.
Now, TRAI is seeking to hike the prices of broadband wireless spectrum service up to 50%.
“The new bands are far more versatile and globally, operators are competing fiercely in 3G and Wimax space,” said TRAI in a released statement. “What should be the eligibility for getting spectrum allocation and what would be the maximum amount of the spectrum to be allocated to each bidder?” asked TRAI in the released paper.
The asking comments regarding 2.3-2.4 GHz, 2.5-2.69 GHz and 3.3-3.6 GHz bands can be used for 3G services which allow video and data transfer over wireless networks.
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