Mobile operators like Reliance Communications, which are interested in offering services on a pan-India basis using both the technologies – CDMA and GSM – may be allowed to do the same but subject to overall ceiling on spectrum.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), which is conducting a review of the licencing norms, is likely to recommend the same to the department of telecommunications (DoT) next week.
According to sources, under this scheme the operator will not get spectrum under separate criteria/entitlement for GSM and CDMA services but will get overall spectrum based on the subscriber base or auction/pricing and will have to distribute it amongst its various services like CDMA and GSM.
For instance, if an operator in Delhi is eligible for 10 Mhz spectrum as per its subscriber base it will get that much itself and will have to divide the same among its two services. Sources said that not allowing dual technology might bring about complications as services like 3G and WiMAX are also separate and new technologies.
In contrast, allowing the same and provisioning separate spectrum entitlements will not be feasible considering that spectrum is a scarce resource and if more operators start opting for dual technology there would be problems. If the recommendations of Trai are accepted by DoT, an operator like Rcomm may be able to provide both the services on a nation-wide basis but will have to curtail one of them to promote the other. Currently, RComm offers CDMA services in all the 23 circles and GSM in eight circles.
Last year, it had applied to the DoT for GSM spectrum in all the other circles as well. Earlirer, a DoT committee had noted that operators be given additional spectrum only for the technology initially chosen by it. For instance, if a service provider has initially chosen CDMA technology, it will be entitled for additional spectrum for CDMA only. However, the matter was referred to Trai before taking a final decision.
