New Delhi, Jan 21 Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said the Indian cabinet has cleared spectrum for defence and telecom service provider, putting an end to the eight-year-long dispute.
Indian cabinet on Wednesday earmarked spectrum bands for exclusive use of the defence segment, while specifying the use of remaining airwaves for civilian purposes in areas such as civil aviation and space.
Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the media after a cabinet meeting that nine slots will be for exclusive use of defence in between 3 MHz and 40 gigahertz.
“Today, I met (Defence Minister) Manohar Parrikar with our officials and discussed the matter. This matter (spectrum swapping) was pending for eight years. Defence released 5 MHz of 2,100 bands for telecom usage,” Prasad said.
Prasad said spectrum was mainly used by defence, communications, space, civil aviation and information and broadcasting.
The telecom ministry had earlier proposed to exchange 15 Mhz spectrum it holds in the 1,900 Mhz band with same quantum of airwaves held by the defence ministry in the 2,100 Mhz. The 2,100 Mhz band is used for 3G telecommunications services.
“Swapping of 15 MHz in the frequency band of 1,900 MHz with the telecommunications has been permitted,” the minister said.
Regarding “harmonisation” of defence band between telecom and defence, Prasad said: “The band in the 1,700-2,000 MHz is required to be harmonised. The cabinet has approved that this harmony must be done within a period of one year.”
Prasad said there were certain issues where more clarity was needed.
He said the area within 50 km of India’s borders will be demarcated as defence interest zone.
“In peace time, the telecom operation that we will do, we will intimate defence. In operation times, those will come under their jurisdiction,” he said.
Prasad, however, said there were certain issues in nine slots where some more work was needed.
“Therefore, 31 slots are those where defence use has to coexist with other usage. Like space, broadcasting, civil aviation and others.”
However, no decision on the reserve price of the 3G spectrum was taken.
India’s telecom regulator Jan 15 said the reserve price of third generation (3G) spectrum was what it had recommended but noted that sufficient spectrum should be available in the 2,100 megahertz (MHz) band otherwise the auction’s purpose will be defeated.
The TRAI Dec 31 had recommended a base price of Rs.2,720 crore per megahertz for the 2,100 Mhz band as against pan-India reserve price of Rs.3,500 crore per MHz in the 2010 auction of 3G spectrum.
The next round of spectrum auction in 800, 900, 1,800 and 2,100 megahertz (MHz) will start Feb 25.
IANS
