[cr-india] Financial Express article: Next on the block: 4G mobilespectrum

[Rajen Varada]

 There needs to be a combined effort to look at the whole spectrum issues in
toto and create a pressure group to make it more accountable.
 Can we envisage a community media consortium to take it up?
-- 
Rajen Varada
CEO
Labournet
25/1-4,9th Cross, J.P. Nagar-2nd Phase,
Bangalore-560076, INDIA
Skype rajen.varada
Tell +91-80-45504550
mail:rvarada at labournet.in
www.labournet.in
-------------------------------------------



On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 5:04 PM, Naimur Rahman
<naimur.rahman at oneworld.net>wrote:

>  Dear Ram,
>
>
>
> Thanks for flagging this. I think CR community should make a strong
> advocacy effort against such rampant commercialisation of finite resources –
> and especially when spectrum shortage is cited for limited radio licenses.
> Would CRF work with larger civil society to take forward this struggle?
>
>
>
> Naimur
>
>
>
>
>
> ------
>
> Naimur Rahman
>
> Director, OneWorld South Asia
>
> Managing Director, OneWorld Foundation India
>
> President, Fundación GKP (Global Knowledge Partnership)
>
>
>   ------------------------------
>
> *From:* cr-india-bounces at sarai.net [mailto:cr-india-bounces at sarai.net] *On
> Behalf Of *N.Ramakrishnan
> *Sent:* 12 May 2011 10:08
> *To:* cr-india at sarai.net
> *Subject:* [cr-india] Financial Express article: Next on the block: 4G
> mobilespectrum
>
>
>
> Makes you kind of wonder what shortage of spectrum actually means, doesn't
> it? Since just about everybody and his uncleseems to be sitting on a stash
> of spectrum.
> Ram
>
>
>  --
>
> N.Ramakrishnan
>
>
>
> Director of Projects
>
> Ideosync Media Combine
>
> 177, Ashoka Enclave III
>
> Sector 35, Faridabad - 121 003
>
> Haryana - India
>
>
>
> Tel: +91-0129-4131883/4064883/4065883/6510156
>
> Mobile: +91-9810273883
>
> Web: www.ideosyncmedia.org
>
>
> **********
> *Next on the block: 4G mobile spectrum*
>
> Ashish Sinha, Rishi Raj
>
>
>
> Posted: Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 0122 hrs IST
>
> *Tags:* 4G Mobile Spectrum<http://www.financialexpress.com/gsearch.php?cx=partner-pub-9517772455344405:x8r0lv-hydo&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=4G%20mobile%20spectrum&sa=Search#1113&type=financialexpress>| I&B
> Ministry Vacate Spectrum<http://www.financialexpress.com/gsearch.php?cx=partner-pub-9517772455344405:x8r0lv-hydo&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%20I&B%20ministry%20vacate%20spectrum&sa=Search#1113&type=financialexpress>| 4G
> Data Services<http://www.financialexpress.com/gsearch.php?cx=partner-pub-9517772455344405:x8r0lv-hydo&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%204G%20data%20services&sa=Search#1113&type=financialexpress>
>
>
>
>
>  <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=xa-4ce654d665deb334>
>
> *New Delhi**:* India has taken a step closer to high-speed 4G data
> services, with the Union I&B ministry agreeing to vacate 700 MHz band
> spectrum that is currently under the control of the ministry. Historically,
> this band is used gobally for broadcast services but is increasingly being
> allocated to mobile operators for providing 4G telecom services.
>
> This follows a long sparring between the telecom department and the I&B
> ministry for the control over this band. The I&B ministry was not willing to
> vacate this band. However, revenue considerations seem to have worked in
> favour of the the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
>
> The lower the spectrum band, the greater its efficiency and consequently,
> greater the revenues it can fetch. Last April, the government had auctioned
> 2.3 GHz spectrum for broadband wireless access, raking in R38,543 crore.
> Auctioning the 700 MHz spectrum for 4G services could potentially earn much
> more. I&B ministry vacating the spectrum will open it for auctions by DoT.
>
> The I&B ministry did not want to vacate the 700 MHz band since it is
> allotted to Doordarshan and also because it wants to start mobile TV
> services. However, sources said that the I&B ministry has constituted a
> sub-committee to review the 700 MHz band and take a re-look at the demands
> of Doordarshan and the feasibility of freeing it for broadband services by
> mobile operators.
>
> “The spectrum requirements of Doordarshan and mobile TV will be reviewed as
> part of the exercise to establish exactly how much spectrum can be freed up
> for other essential requirements,” a senior Doordarshan official told FE.
>
> The I&B ministry has envisaged 96 MHz of spectrum allocation for mobile TV
> services, a policy that is still far from final. “The plan was to allocate 8
> MHz spectrum to six mobile operators (4 private, 2 Doordarshan) each in a
> city after auctioning. However, there is an option of reducing this number
> by two (1 private, 1 Doordarshan), which will free up 32 MHz. Finding
> another block of 8 MHz will not be difficult,” a source in the government
> said.
>
> Earlier this year, Doordarshan had conducted an internal audit of its
> current and future spectrum requirements and informed the I&B ministry of
> requirements inclusive of the 96 MHz which will be reserved for mobile TV
> services.
>
> *********
>
>
>
>
> Join the Community Radio Forum. For membership details, please go to
> www.crforum.in
>
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