Indian GSM operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have called on communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to start the partial allotment of 3G airwaves in the 2100 MHz band immediately, as the telecom department is unable to solve the earlier suggested spectrum swap deal with the armed forces. Partial allotment will enable mixed use of 3G spectrum by reserving such bandwidth for defence in some geographies and putting it to commercial use elsewhere, since the 2x40 MHz of 3G spectrum held by the armed forces is being used only in a few areas. The statement was made by The Cellular Operators Association of India (Coai) in a letter to Prasad seen by the Economic Times.
The Coai also warns that “[failure to do so] would be a national waste since defence usage of 3G spectrum is restricted to a fraction of the total geography and much of its 2100 MHz holdings is lying vacant and unused".
The Coai had earlier proposed that armed forces swap 15 MHz in the 2100 MHz band with an equal spectrum block in the 1900 MHz band. Indian mobile operators believe that even if the ministry reaches no agreement with the armed forces, partial allotment of 2100 MHz spectrum should not be a problem for DoT since it has already "introduced the notion of partial spectrum by putting such 1800 MHz to auction in February". "Even if a spectrum swap with the defence ministry is not immediately possible, there can be no credible excuse of not releasing 3G spectrum since over 17 percent of the 1800 MHz spectrum auctioned in February”, the letter reads.
The Coai further argues that a partial allotment will help operators increase their 3G network capacity and offer superior mobile broadband coverage at affordable rates.
