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New Delhi, Oct 18 With the Communications Ministry yet to spell out its game plan for allocating spectrum to over 40 claimants, GSM operators have sought the Prime Minister’s intervention to ensure that their interests are protected before new players are allowed into the sector. GSM operators are worried that the Government may allocate spectrum to new players even as some of their applications for additional radio frequency have been pending for over a year. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) in a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that the existing policy and guidelines have to be respected as all the players have made huge investments based on this policy.

While the existing GSM cellular operators have been demanding additional spectrum of up to 15 MHz, new entrants have been trying to push their case by pointing out that operators cannot get more than 6.2 Mhz spectrum as per the licence agreement.

COAI has also written another letter to the Department of Telecom cautioning against allocating GSM spectrum to CDMA operators. Reliance Communications had sought permission to offer GSM-based mobile services in addition to its pan India CDMA mobile network.

Senior Government officials said that Reliance may be allowed to offer both technologies. They also said that RCom could be among the first to get GSM spectrum in case it is decided that the policy be implemented with retrospective effect.

COAI has opposed such a move. “It may first be pointed out that the fact that crossover is not permissible under the present policy and the license regime has been recognised by both DoT as well as TRAI. It may be noted that if such crossover was permissible, then there was no need for DoT to refer the matter to TRAI.

Further, TRAI too, has recorded and noted in both its Consultation paper as well as it s recommendations that such crossover is not permissible, however, the same may be allowed through an amendment in the licence,” COAI said.

GSM players said that it would be completely illegal and untenable for the Government to allow use of mixed technologies with retrospective effect.

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