CDG expects further delay in 3G Spectrum Policy

New Delhi, Mar 5 (UNI) The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today said there could be a further delay in the announcement of the 3G Spectrum Policy.

A delay in the policy announcement would create more uncertainty in the timing of the launch of 3G services, deprive Indian consumers and businesses of the benefits of these services, and keep India behind other countries, including many of its neighbours who have already launched 3G services, the CDMA association said here.

It opined that the announcement of the 3G Spectrum Policy should not in any way be linked to the delay in the release of the spectrum in the 1,800 MHz band, which was part of the 45 MHz of spectrum that was to have been freed.

To maximise spectrum availability, the CDG recommends creation of a level playing field amongst operators and restore parity from the economies of scale that the 2,100 MHz band will offer GSM operators.

The CDG believes that the CDMA operators in India should be allowed to offer CDMA2000 1xEV-DO services in their existing 800 MHz band. This is the common practice throughout the rest of the world.

Additional carriers in cities like Mumbai and Delhi should immediately be made available for this purpose. The 1X network deployed by the service providers in India are already 3G capable and are being currently under utilised, it said.

The CDG also suggested the Department of Telecom (DoT) should seriously consider TRAI's recommendations regarding the feasibility to deploy and release 1,900 MHz to the CDMA operators concurrent with the release of 2,100 MHz spectrum.

It encourages the DoT to make the entire spectrum allocation and management technology neutral so that all future allocations of spectrum are made in equal measure to both of the deployed technologies.

The CDG has also corresponded with the DoT on this matter, its Executive Director Perry La Forge said.

UNI