Regulatory issues and its impact on

Indian scenario

Sudhir Gupta
Advisor (Mobile Network), TRAI
 Broadband Access
„ Broadband access is widely recognized as
one of the catalyst for economic
development.
„ It leads to increased productivity and
efficiency
„ Multiplier effect arising out of increased
investment also lead to positive impact on
GDP.
 Broadband Access

Various method of provision of Broadband

ƒ Copper cable and xDSL

ƒ Fiber in the Loop (FLL)
ƒ Fiber to the Curb (FTC)
ƒ Broad Wireless Access (BWA)
 Broadband Access

„ BWA technologies facilitates faster

diffusion of broadband services
„ Better coverage
„ Quicker roll out

„ High scalability

„ Lower maintenance and up gradation costs

„ Phased Investment to match market growth

Internet and Broadband subscriber growth in India

Internet Broadband

10.00 9.27
8.58 9.22
9.00 7.71 8.10
Subscriber (in million)

8.00 6.70 6.94

7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00 2.05 2.34
1.57 1.82 2.42
2.00 0.9 1.35
1.00
0.00
Mar-06

Jun-06

Mar-07

Jun-07
Dec-05

Dec-06
Sep-06
Broadband adoption in OECD countries versus India as % of Population
 Broadband targets

DoT has also set a target for Broadband coverage

for all secondary & higher secondary schools, all
public health care centers by the year 2007 and
coverage of all Grampanchayats by the year 2010
.
Broadband Penetration has not been as per the expectations.
Targets appear to be too ambitious
 New Developments: IMT-2000
Standards
„ ITU has approved WiMAX technology as
new IMT-2000 Standard.

„ IMT-2000 family of standards will now

support four different access technologies:
FDMA, TDMA, CDMA and OFDMA.
 Broadband growth

„ Main growth will be wireless

centric.
„ Suitable and sufficient spectrum
availability
„ Licensing regime
TRAI’s recommendations dated
September 27, 2006
 TRAI’s Recommendations

„ Major focus of the recommendations

„ Identifying the spectrum bands
„ Price determination
„ Method of allotment
„ Technology neutrality and level playing
field
 BWA spectrum bands
„ 700 MHz
„ 2.3 – 2.4 GHz
„ 2.5 – 2.69 GHz
„ 3.3 – 3.4 GHz
„ 3.4 – 3.6 GHz
„ 5.15 GHz – 5.35 GHz
„ 5.725 GHz – 5.875 GHz
BWA spectrum
„ 700 MHz
„ Doordarshan uses this band for connecting outdoor
broadcast vans to their studios.
„ Other users have deployed both fixed and mobile
networks
„ 2.3-2.4 GHz
„ Captive users like State electricity boards, power
utilities, oil companies, the railways, and security
organizations have deployed microwave links in this
band.
BWA spectrum
„ 2.5-2.69 GHz
„ 2.500-2.520 GHz paired with 2.670-2.690 GHz is being used for
mobile satellite service (MSS),
„ 2.520-2.535 GHz paired with 2.655-2.670 GHz is proposed for
MSS,
„ 2.535-2.550 GHz and 2.630-2.655 GHz are being used for Local
Multichannel Distribution system (LMDS) and Microwave
multichannel Distribution System (MMDS) applications, and
„ 2.550-2.630 GHz is being used for broadcasting satellite service
(BSS) in India by DoS.
BWA spectrum

„ 3.3-3.4 GHz
„ Already assigned to seven ISPs in FDD mode.
„ 3.4-3.6 GHz
„ Lower extended C band from 3.4 to 3.7 GHz
is being used for INSAT satellite for television
reception.
„ Use of these bands for terrestrial application
has to be technically coordinated
BWA spectrum
„ 5.15-5.35 GHz and 5.725-5.875 GHz bands
„ India has also delicensed the 5.15-5.35 GHz and
5.725-5.875 GHz bands for indoor use and the
Authority has already recommended de-licensing of
these bands for outdoor usage also.

„ Recently the Govt. delicensed 5.825-5.875 GHz for

outdoor use of wireless equipment.
Spectrum for BWA technologies –
TRAI’s recommendations

„ At least 200 MHz of spectrum should be made

available for BWA to accommodate growth
requirement until 2007, and an additional 100
MHz of spectrum should be coordinated by 2010.
„ Operators with current spectrum assignments in
the 3.3-3.4 GHz band should be given the option
to migrate to circle-wide operations by December
2006
„ DoT should coordinate with DoS to get 100 MHz
for broadband wireless applications in the 3.4 –
3.6 GHz band immediately.
Spectrum for BWA technologies
„ Use of the 5.15-5.35 GHz and 5.725-5.875 GHz
bands may be allowed on a technology neutral,
non-protected, non-exclusive basis as delicensed
bands in also the outdoor deployments of
terrestrial wireless technologies
„ DoT should coordinate some part of 700 MHz
spectrum for making it available for rural
wireless networks in the near future.
„ Also keeping in mind the suitability of 2.3-2.4
GHz band for BWA applications and the need for
additional spectrum later, DoT should plan to
vacate/re-farm this 100 MHz band from the
existing users by end-2007 and allocate it for
BWA services.
Spectrum for BWA technologies
„ DoT should initiate the process to vacate
portions of the 2.5 – 2.69 GHz band that
might not be in use at this time, or which
have marginal uses limited in nature.
„ 200 MHz of spectrum in the 3.3-3.4 GHz and
3.4-3.6 GHz bands may be allocated to 13
operators in contiguous blocks of 15 MHz
each.
„ The Authority will make recommendations
about future allocations of spectrum in bands
such as 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz, or 700 MHz, as and
when these bands are made available.
Spectrum for BWA technologies
„ Twelve blocks of BWA spectrum as identified
should be allocated among UASLs, CMSPs, or
Category A and B ISPs and for circle level
deployments.
„ One block of spectrum should be allocated to
Category A, B, and C ISP licenses in cities or SSAs
with population less than one million.
„ DoT may use a first-come first-serve allocation
mechanism for this one block of spectrum if
needed.
„ DoT should organize a one-stage sealed bid
auction for every circle to allocate BWA spectrum
for circle-wide licensees.
 BWA Spectrum Pricing
„ Reserve price for 15 MHz of BWA
spectrum in different circles will be as
follows:
Circle Reserve price Performance bank
(Rs. Crores for 15 guarantee
MHz) (Rs. Crores)
Metros & A 10 5
B 5 2.5
C 2 1
 BWA Roll-out
License area Metros Category A, B & C Local
circles operators/captive
Timeline networks
2 years - 25% rural SDCAs -
area coverage
5 years 90% area coverage 50% rural SDCAs 90% area coverage
area coverage
Wireless Broadband technology
„ Wireless subscribers in the world are
approaching 3 billion milestone.
„ This is the addressable market for mobile
broadband, if:
„ Availability
„ Accessibility

„ Affordability

„ Throughput

„ Wider choice of devices

Market trends
„ Converged platforms
„ Integrated and Intelligent CPE
„ Quadruple play services
„ Bundling of services
„ IP network deployments
„ Multiple operators
„ Low tariffs
„ New applications and services
 BWA technologies

„ BWA technologies can complement 3G

and facilitate in achieving higher
penetration levels.
„ Timing
„ Economies

„ Costs

„ Tariffs

„ Handsets
 Way Forward

„ Light handed regulation

„ Flexible regulatory regime
„ Technology and service neutrality in the
licensing regime
„ Availability of adequate spectrum for
wireless services
„ Market based approach