From http://infotech.indiatimes.com/Telecom/GSM-players-want-spectrum-clarity/articleshow/4435388.cms on 22 Apr, 2009, 1632 hrs IST,TNN
NEW DELHI: GSM players may approach telecom tribunal TDSAT seeking clarity on its recent judgment which had said that operators on this platform did not have ‘vested right’ to receive spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz mark. “It is been widely reported that TDSAT has asked the communications ministry to stop all allocations of radio frequencies (spectrum) beyond the 6.2 MHz to GSM players, but this is not the case. GSM players had told TDSAT that as per licence conditions, they have automatic right to get up to 15 MHz of spectrum, but the tribunal in its ruling has said that as per National Telecom Policy - 99, we do not have ‘vested right’ to receive spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz mark. But the tribunal has also not asked the government to stop allocations beyond the 6.2 MHz mark,” a top executive with a leading GSM player said. The current spectrum allocation policy based on Trai’s recommendations gives GSM operators up to 15 MHz of radio frequencies subject to the operators’ meeting certain pre-defined subscriber targets. The DoT even issued a press release early last year stating this rule. But, telecom tribunal TDSAT last month said that ‘Trai’s recommendations on subscriber-linked criteria for spectrum allocation were made in total violation of the principles of transparency’. To end the ongoing controversy, DoT announced last year that the current spectrum allocation policy was only an interim measure as it has set up a committee to come up with a new formula to allocate airwaves. “The tribunal has taken note of the DoT’s stance that a committee has been set up to arrive at a new methodology. Importantly, its judgment does not direct the DoT to stop following its interim policy till this committee submits its report,” explained an executive with another GSM telco.
NEW DELHI: GSM players may approach telecom tribunal TDSAT seeking clarity on its recent judgment which had said that operators on this platform did not have ‘vested right’ to receive spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz mark. “It is been widely reported that TDSAT has asked the communications ministry to stop all allocations of radio frequencies (spectrum) beyond the 6.2 MHz to GSM players, but this is not the case. GSM players had told TDSAT that as per licence conditions, they have automatic right to get up to 15 MHz of spectrum, but the tribunal in its ruling has said that as per National Telecom Policy - 99, we do not have ‘vested right’ to receive spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz mark. But the tribunal has also not asked the government to stop allocations beyond the 6.2 MHz mark,” a top executive with a leading GSM player said. The current spectrum allocation policy based on Trai’s recommendations gives GSM operators up to 15 MHz of radio frequencies subject to the operators’ meeting certain pre-defined subscriber targets. The DoT even issued a press release early last year stating this rule. But, telecom tribunal TDSAT last month said that ‘Trai’s recommendations on subscriber-linked criteria for spectrum allocation were made in total violation of the principles of transparency’. To end the ongoing controversy, DoT announced last year that the current spectrum allocation policy was only an interim measure as it has set up a committee to come up with a new formula to allocate airwaves. “The tribunal has taken note of the DoT’s stance that a committee has been set up to arrive at a new methodology. Importantly, its judgment does not direct the DoT to stop following its interim policy till this committee submits its report,” explained an executive with another GSM telco.
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