INDIA-CDMA>
Cellular services to be technology
neutral
Sanjay Anand
NEW DELHI: In a significant development which opens up India
to newer, more cost-effective mobile technologies, the Telecom
Commission has decided to make cellphone services technology
neutral.
This means that private operators will no longer be restricted to
GSM technology for providing cellphone services. GSM is part
of predominantly European standard called time division multiple
access (TDMA).
Official sources said cellphone operators would be allowed to
use digital, up-to-date technologies including CDMA (code
division multiple access), a US standard. This will provide
consumers affordable and no-frills cellular telephony, they added.
The CDMA technology was in the laboratory/testing stage when
India liberalised the telecom sector and allowed cellular telephony
in 1995. However, over the past couple of years, CDMA along
with a host of other technologies like PCS, predominantly used in
Japan, have matured for commercial use.
In view of this, sources said, it was not advisable to restrict
cellular communications to GSM. Besides, dual and multiple
technology/band handsets have since been developed to
harmonise use of various mobile technologies.
To begin with, the move will have positive ramifications for
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL), which already has
some CDMA infrastructure in place. CDMA uses macro cellular
structure (for example, it covers an area like Delhi in 6-odd cells
against around 350 plus cells required by GSM technology) and,
although not allowed for cellular telephony, MTNL was using it
for wireless in local loop (WLL) connections.
WLL is used for rapid deployment of basic phone in remote
areas, difficult terrains and congested cities doing away with the
need to dig up roads and lay cables by providing direct radio
connection to subscriber premises from a phone exchange. It also
allows limited mobility. In countries like THE US and South
Korea, CDMA is used for full-fledged cellular telephony as well.
MTNL's CDMA-based fixed WLL is available in Delhi and
Mumbai. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI),
however, prevented it from providing limited mobility WLL
because the rules did not allow that.
Now, under the new telecom policy (NTP) announced earlier this
year, MTNL has been allowed to enter as the third cellphone
operator in Delhi and Mumbai.
As a result of Telecom Commission's decision, said MTNL chief
S Rajagopalan, MTNL would now be able to use both CDMA
as well as GSM standards to provide cellular services.
TRAI chairman Justice SS Sodhi, meanwhile, said that the
Authority would float a consultation paper within a few days on
issues pertaining to WLL and introduction of multiplicity of
standards for cellular telephony.
Justice Sodhi said he would not be able give a time-frame for a
final decision, but added that ''it would be soon''. He confirmed
having asked for comments from cellphone operators like AirTel
on the issue. Bharti (which operated AirTel services in Delhi)
CMD Sunil Mittal, in his response to TRAI has stated that India
was bound to GSM technology as per WTO commitment.
Telecom industry representatives said that WTO commitment
should not be a major hindrance. Cellular Operators Association
of India (COAI) director general TV Ramachandaran said the
industry would welcome such a move, provided ''it ensures a
level playing field for private operators''.
He said WTO was put in place for increased liberalisation and if
India was to allow newer technologies which benefit consumers
and increase competition, WTO would respect a revised stand of
India.
He said it was a good move for consumers and InGoT (an
industry group on telecom which gave inputs for NTP) was also
committed to newer technologies. ''Nobody is against it (new
standards) and we are certainly not against MTNL,'' he added.
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