After more than a year since it was given the broadband spectrum, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has approached the Government seeking relocation of the frequency band.

The State-run company was given 20 Mhz of spectrum in the S-band in 2009, but the company claims the location of the frequency is not in accordance with the international norms.

“The spectrum given to BSNL does not allow it to deploy Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. BSNL has been given a non-standardised spectrum,” said Mr G. L. Jogi of the Sanchar Nigam Employees Union (SNEA).

BSNL has claimed that private operators which won broadband spectrum in the auctions conducted in 2010 have been given spectrum in the 2.3 Ghz band which allows them to deploy either WiMax or TDD- LTE (Time Division Duplex-Long Term Evolution) technologies.

But BSNL's frequency band does not permit TDD-LTE. BSNL claims that globally 2.5 Ghz band is used for Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) technologies, so it will be left out in terms of availability of network equipment and handset devices. The basic difference between FDD and TDD is the way spectrum is used. In FDD, the spectrum is split into two, one for upstream and one for downstream traffic. For example, GSM is a FDD technology so operators get 2x4.4 Mhz of spectrum. In TDD, the spectrum is used as one chunk.

“They have given BSNL FDD spectrum for TDD use. How can they operate,” said Mr Jogi.

This comes even as the Telecom Ministry has raised questions on the companies that have partnered with BSNL for rolling out WiMax-based broadband services. The Telecom Ministry has sought details of companies to check if they are shell companies. BSNL has already scrapped the WiMax tender thrice. The first time it got bids from five companies which had the same email ID and contact address.

comment COMMENT NOW