The Hindu Business Line : CDMA operators face spectrum crunch

MOBILE operators using the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology are facing the crunch as they are unable to expand subscriber base due to lack of radio frequency.

Companies, including Reliance Infocomm and Tata Teleservices, have approached the Communication Ministry demanding release of the full quota of 5-Mhz spectrum promised in the licence agreement.

The Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUTSPI), which represents the CDMA-based mobile operators, said the Government has not been releasing the full quota despite fulfilling all rollout obligations. They said that while GSM operators were given 4.4-Mhz spectrum initially, CDMA operators were given only 2.5 Mhz. They also said that while GSM operators can get additional spectrum of up to 10 Mhz, CDMA operators have been allowed only a maximum of 5-Mhz radio frequency.

The operators are expected to meet senior DoT officials early next week to discuss the issue.

"There are more than eight million subscribers served by the CDMA operators. The numbers are growing at more than half a million every month. In most cities, operators are running at maximum capacity utilisation of the allocated 2.5-Mhz radio frequency. If the Government does not allocate additional spectrum immediately, then it will impact the growth numbers," said Mr S.C. Khanna, Secretary General, AUTSPI.

The CDMA operators have also written to the Government to make available additional radio frequency in the 1900-Mhz frequency band since there are no vendors manufacturing CDMA network equipment for other frequency bands.

"If the Government allocates radio frequency in any other band, like 1800 Mhz, then we will have problems since the existing CDMA handsets and equipment, which are operating in the 800 Mhz, are not compatible with it. No CDMA operator in the world uses the 1800 Mhz for lack of equipment and therefore Indian subscribers will have problems when using the roaming facility," said Mr Khanna.

However, this demand is being opposed by the cellular operators using the Global System for Mobile technology (GSM) on grounds that the 1900-Mhz frequency was reserved globally for GSM and 3G networks and therefore there was no scope for accommodating CDMA operators.