The Hindu Business Line : RCom slams Bharti, Vodafone claims on spectrum

Snapshot
DoT panel set up for reviewing review the subscriber base allocation criteria is expected to finalise its report on Monday.
With GSM operators staying away from the panel, its conclusion may not resolve the spectrum conflict.

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Dec 9 Reliance Communications has slammed the claims made by GSM operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar before the spectrum panel set up by the Government.

In a point-by-point rebuttal, RCom told the chairman of the panel that the two operators were cherry picking information to suit their arguments on spectrum.

The panel set up to review the subscriber base allocation criteria is expected to finalise its report on Monday. However with the GSM operators disassociating itself from the committee, the panel’s conclusions may not resolve the conflict on spectrum allocation.

While GSM operators claimed contractual rights up to 15 MHz, RCom said the statement was a misrepresentation and there was no statutory or contractual right beyond the contracted spectrum of 6.2 MHz.

Bharti Airtel had also said that it was not feasible to configure base stations to load the number of subscribers based on the TRAI norms.

In response, RCom has claimed that it was possible to pack in 3 times the number of mobile subscribers suggested by the telecom regulator.

“The TEC/TRAI norms are being contested for cornering and hoarding spectrum and restricting competition,” RCom said in its letter to Mr R. Bandhopadhyay, Additional Secretary, DoT.

Vodafone Essar had told the panel that spectrum allocation in India was far below vis-À-vis other Vodafone operating companies and other GSM operators.

Countering this RCom said, “This is not a valid comparison. Vodafone is cherry picking examples with an agenda to mislead.”

Meanwhile RCom has also sought information with respect to spectrum allocated to GSM operators under the Right to Information Act.

The Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India, which represents all the CDMA-based operators, has also criticised GSM operators’ decision to pull out of the spectrum panel.

“The COAI is thus trying to perpetuate the regime whereby the two main GSM players continue to hoard already obtained spectrum without any criteria and much beyond the licence mandated quantity of 6.2 MHz only.

“The only conclusion which can be drawn from such actions of the COAI is that anything which is not to the liking of the COAI is arbitrary, unfair and wrong,” said Mr S.C. Khanna, Secretary General, AUSPI.