The spectrum and its importance

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: If you were to eavesdrop on any telecom major’s discussions, spectrum issues are bound to come in for mention. With India being pegged as one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world, telecom operators’ need for spectrum will keep growing. fe takes a Closer Look at what is spectrum and some of the contentious issue facing the telecom industry.

What is spectrum and who uses it?

Spectrum is a range of electromagnetic radio frequencies used for transmission of voice, data and images. Mobile telecom operators send and receive frequencies to enable communication between two phones. The defence services and railways also use the spectrum .

The radio spectrum used by them contains a limited number of frequencies due to factors such as propagation characteristics of different bands, equipment availability for different types of allocations and suitability of different frequency bands for specific allocations.

Who manages the spectrum?

Assignment of spectrum is governed by the national frequency allocation plan (NFAP) and the International Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) wing of the department of telecom (DoT) performs spectrum management functions in India, while the Standing Advisory Committee on frequency allocation formulates and reviews the NFAP and evolves technical criteria equipment standards.

How is spectrum allocated among telecom operators? And is the allocation different for those using GSM and CDMA technologies?

In India, spectrum varying from 2X4.4 MHz to 2X10 MHz has been allocated to Global System for Mobile (GSM), while 2X2.5 MHz to 2X5 MHz has been allocated to service providers using CDMA technology. For GSM, spectrum allotment is subscriber-based: 4.4 MHz is allotted initially and the telco can ask for an additional 6.2 MHz. Spectrum of 8 MHz is given only to companies with a subscriber base of over five lakh and another 2 MHz to 8 MHz after attaining a subscriber base of 10 lakh.

CDMA operators get 2.5 MHz initially and an additional 2.5 MHz is considered after ensuring efficient utilisation and based on subscriber base. Currently, mobile operators here use the 1800 MHz, 800 MHz and the 900 MHz band. These bands are also being used by the defence agencies, making it difficult for DoT to release additional spectrum in the same band for mobile usage.

Why is every telecom major fighting for spectrum?