The Centre on Thursday issued detail guidelines for introducing the next generation mobile service (3G) as well as Mobile Number Portability (MNP) service – the innovative service that would allow the users to switch mobile operators without changing existing number – to ensure the mobile subscriber to get better and advance service without losing their numbers.
The Department of Telecommunication on July 31 has paved the way of releasing the detail guidelines for 3G Spectrum allocation to existing as well as new players including foreigner.
According to DoT, “Spectrum shall be auctioned in two blocks of 5 Mega Hertz (MHz) in 2.1 Giga Hertz (GHz) band. The number of blocks to be auctioned may vary from 5 to 10 subject to availability in different telecom service areas. In exceptional cases of non-availability, the number of blocks may be less than 5 in a telecom service area. The actual number of blocks to be auctioned in a telecom service area will be announced well before the auction.”
“Each successful bidders shall be allocated only one block in a telecom service area”, said DoT in the issued guidelines by adding that only 10 players including existing mobile operators and foreigner would be allocated the 3G Spectrum bandwidth.
DoT has divided the entire country in two zones: zone-1 and zone- 2. ‘Each zone covers 11 circles including two Metropolitan cities and each bidders can bid for one block (1920-1980 MHz for uplink and 2110-2170 Mhz for downlink) in a telecom service area’ as per DoT stated in the released guidelines.
The Spectrum will be auctioned in the 450 MHz band, in 800 MHz band for Evolution Data Only (EVDO) services, and in 1900 MHz band (1900-1910 paired with 1980-1990 Mhz) when it becomes available, while DoT has allowed for Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) players to seek the Spectrum allocation in 800 MHz band if it would be available.
DoT has also revealed the base price for 3G Spectrum allocations, which has been fixed as per area categories. Rs. 160-crore has been fixed for Metros (except Kolkata) and category ‘A’ service areas, Rs. 80-crore has been fixed for Kolkata and category ‘B’ service areas and Rs. 30-crore for ‘C’ category service area.
In another released guidelines, DoT has cleared the way of much-awaited MNP service by releasing the guidelines for issuing MNP service licence.
Earlier, it looked like MNP service can come in the beginning stage of operation by the end of this year as DoT had announced last year that the process of operation could begin after issuing the MNP service licence. But now, it seems that it cannot begin before February-March 2009, as the licence for MNP service has not yet been issued.
The licence for beginning the process of MNP service in Metros is expected to be issued in September and after six months, the MNP service can begin. The full fledged operation of MNP service is expected to begin from September- October 2009- one year after awarding the licence.
DoT had planned to begin the MNP service in two phases- first in the metro and second in rest of the country. The service licence will be provided through bidding process.
DoT is seeking for providing the MNP service licence to two successful bidders instead of one, while Telephone Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was in the favour of granting licence to only one successful bidder.
The candidate for bidding must have relevant experience of MNP service providing with the 25-million user base in any country and the licence fee for getting MNP service is Rs.1-crore, as per the DoT issued guidelines.
After implementing this service completely, users can switch the players or the technology (from CDMA to GSM and vice versa) within a single provider without any fear of number changing.
|
|
Read More: Kolkata
Comments:
