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Dept Weighing host of options on charging for 3G spectrum
The ticklish issue of DoT putting a price tag on scarce 3G spectrum, following Tata group chairman Ratan Tata’s Rs 1,500 crore entry-fee offer, is donning new shades. For starters, DoT is trying to assess how much it would cost the defence ministry to vacate select spectrum bands for enabling 3G mobile broadband services, and subsequently replace crucial defence equipment that can operate on a new set of radio frequencies.
Radio spectrum, which happen to be a national resource, is the essential raw material for offering high-end mobile broadband services like 3G.
While DoT is yet to take a decision, one of the options under consideration is charging mobile operators for 3G spectrum allocations and sharing portion of the receipts with the defence ministry to enable substitution of strategic defence equipment compatible with new frequencies. Defence gear that would need replacement in case radio spectrum bands (in the 1900 MHz range) are vacated would include location of radar systems, trajectory measurment devices, smart bombs, guided bombs or even field communication devices for tanks/artillery.
“Replacement would become mandatory will not work on new frequencies if the defence ministry were to vacate the spectrum bands being sought by prospective 3G mobile service providers,” top sources in the Telecom Commission, the DoT’s apex policy-making wing, said. Elaborating, they said. “DoT is in discussions with the defence ministry, which is open to vacating select spectrum bands (between 400 MHz and 3 GHz) for rollout of 3G mobile services. But rollout of 3G mobile services, But the issue is not merely arriving at a replacement value of vacating spectrum bands, but determining the cost of substituting strategic defence equipment in the event of the defence ministry deciding to vacate select radio frequencies in favour of mobile broadband players keen to offer 3G mobile services.”
