After getting the PAN-India licence, now CDMA players are looking for getting new spectrum allocation on which GSM players were already targeting. The move of asking eGSM spectrum band is preparing a new battle for GSM and CDMA players.
CDMA players have just got the PAN India GSM license that allows the CDMA players to extend their service in all 22 circles of India on dual technology basis, CDMA and GSM both.
This decision has hurt deeply to the GSM players. Now, one step ahead, CDMA players are now eyeing to enter eGSM spectrum on which GSM players were extremely unsatisfied from their rival’s demand. They are urging the government to not permit the eGSM spectrum to CDMA players, because GSM players were already asking eGSM bandwidth for themselves since long time. For this, they have asked several times from Department of Telecommunication well before to allocate the eGSM spectrum only to GSM players.
The eGSM stands for ‘Extended Global System for Mobile communication’ that involves a pair of radio frequencies of 880-890 MHz with 925-935 MHz. This bandwidth is mostly used by GSM mobile service provider in the globe, but in India, CDMA players are also looking for its allocation.
The Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI), the GSM operators’ body has asked from DoT without taking the name of CDMA players, “A large CDMA operator has approached the department of telecom (DoT) to swap its GSM spectrum in 1800 MHz band in return for spectrum in the eGSM band.”
However, it had already allowed 1800 MHz GSM spectrum, but now it is seeking for exchanging spectrum from 1800 MHz to eGSM spectrum. If DoT allows it, it would be unfair and injustice with GSM players as COAI claims and urged to DoT to give preference to GSM players only.
A new round of spectrum battle has broken out between existing GSM operators and CDMA players who are launching GSM services after the government recently approved mobile services on dual technology. This time around, they are battling for the rights to use the ‘eGSM band’.
“It may also be noted that the refarming of the eGSM band is a policy matter and must be decided transparently and equitably and cannot be a matter of bilateral agreements between one (set of) operators and the government.” added COAI in the statement.
The DoT official has confirmed this fact that CDMA operators entering the GSM space were seeking spectrum in the eGSM band.
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