Trai hits out at DoT, now over WiMax

NEW DELHI: Telecom regulator Trai has slammed the communications ministry for being secretive about the amount of wireless broadband (WiMAX) spectrum that is currently available in the country.

Trai has also accused the Department of Telecom (DoT) of keeping it in the dark, both on the availability of WiMAX spectrum as well as on the government’s efforts to get other users such as the department of space to vacate these radio frequencies.The regulator has also demanded that the government put in place a transparent and efficient spectrum management regime.

“The results of the efforts made by the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC wing of the DoT) to get the required spectrum bands vacated/re-farmed from the incumbents are not available in the public domain. The Authority has time and again emphasized that in the times to come, the spectrum will become the most valuable and scarce resource as with the advent of new data centric applications, its demand will increase and there will be competitive users for the same band of spectrum. Therefore, there is a need to have a transparent, predictable and efficient spectrum management system for allocation and pricing of the spectrum,” Trai said in its communication to the DoT.

Trai has also point blank told the DoT that even as other countries had rolled out WiMAX services, the process in India had been delayed ‘due to uncertainty in the spectrum allocation policies’.

“Unless immediate action is taken for vacation of spectrum and its further allotment is done in a time bound manner with the clear-cut roadmap, little progress will be made in term of penetration of wireless broadband in the country,” the regulator warned.

Trai has also directed the DoT to work with the Department of Space (DoS) to get 100 MHz for broadband wireless spectrum vacated urgently in the 3.4 - 3.6 GHz band for wireless broadband services.

At the same time, the authority also took a dig at the DoT and said: “The Authority does not have any information regarding the efforts made by the DoT/WPC to coordinate with the DoS for spectrum in this band, and also results of the study done to find solution to the interference problem in this band between the satellite and terrestrial wireless services.”

Importantly, Trai has also decided not to make any recommendation for 3.4-3.6 GHz frequency bands unless the DoT assess the compatibility of satellite based services with WiMAX services in a transparent manner.

Again, in the case of 2.5 to 2.69 GHz frequency bands, Trai has asked the DoT to coordinate with the DoS and ascertain the feasibility of vacation of additional spectrum in this band within the next 45 days.