The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) welcomes the 3G spectrum allocation recommendations submitted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for their approval. Recommending the allocation and assignment of 3G spectrum in the 450 MHz, 800 MHz, and 2100 MHz frequency bands is a step in the right direction for India, its telecommunications industry, and its consumers.
It is consistent with the fair and transparent manner in which such spectrum is allocated and assigned in other markets that place a premium on ensuring that this scarce commodity and national resource is used efficiently.
The CDG agrees with the recommended principles of using spectrum efficiently, ensuring technology and service neutrality, and establishing a level playing field.
These principles will lead to increased competition, further growth, and more affordable services for India's consumers. These universally accepted principles should be applied to both 2G and 3G spectrum allocations and assignments in India.
'The CDMA industry commends the TRAI for their work towards balancing the needs of all operators and technologies and reaching an equitable solution that will benefit India and its constituents,' said Perry LaForge, executive director, CDG. 'CDMA has played an important role in the expansion of telephony and Internet penetration in India. We urge the Indian government to continue stimulating innovation, competition and further investments by bringing balance and fairness to the allocation of its scarce national resources.'
In order to maximize the delivery of 3G services to India's large cities, villages and rural areas, the CDG encourages the DoT to strongly consider allocating and assigning at least 2 x 10 MHz of spectrum in the paired 1900-1910 MHz and 1980-1990 MHz frequency bands.
The CDG supports the recommendation to verify the technical feasibility of co-existing two different 3G technologies in a mixed 1900/2100 MHz band allocation. Mixed 1900 MHz assignments have been used in Indonesia and the Philippines, and multiple technologies (including CDMA2000 and WCDMA) co-exist in the 1900 MHz band in Canada and the US.
The CDG also supports the recommendation to reassign the unused spectrum in the 800 MHz band and re-farm spectrum in the 900 MHz band so that additional carriers can be made available to mitigate a shortage of spectrum in the long-term.