Spectrum is the basis of wireless communication and is a valuable resource. The spectrum used for mobile telephony is very crowded with more users starting to use smarter, bandwidth-hungry phones, degrading performance seriously. It is rapidly reaching a point of saturation. There is much debate on shortage of spectrum in India. Truth is, there is no shortage of spectrum in India, it is only that the spectrum management in India is being done in a terrible and inefficient manner. A way to better utilize spectrum is cognitive radio technology, which is also the lowest cost technology to address information poverty in rural areas and a means to catapult India to a telecom technology leader. Terrestrial TV spectrum is ideal for demonstrating the power of this concept.Please read more on the issue at Managing and utilizing spectrum more efficiently To understand how spectrum is managed in the country and how can cognitive radio offer a solution, please see short film Why open spectrum?
Read the Right to information queries and responses to these queries here. | SPECTRUM NEWSOn 14 March 2011 The Economic Times reported "DoT, I&B ministry spar over spectrum". Ministry of I&B
claimed that the spectrum in 700 Mhz is reserved for public
broadcaster Doordarshan (DD), while the ministry of communication
and IT has denied such claims saying the spectrum was required for
expansion of mobile (IMT) and broadband wireless services (BWA).
"In 700 Mhz
frequency band, spectrum was earmarked for them but never
allocated. There is process for spectrum allocation. An
organisation needs to obtain wireless operating licence (WOL) to
use spectrum and frequently renew it. Doordarshan never did it," DoT said. The DoT clarified that National Frequency Allocation
Plan 2008 clearly mentioned that Broadcast, IMT and Fixed services
as primary service in this band.
On 25 February 2011 it was reported that " The telecom department
has initiated the process of auctioning airwaves in the 700 MHz band,
which, it says is the ‘most efficient and cost-effective’ frequency for
delivering wireless broadband." (The Economic Times) The ministry has set a
target for Doordarshan and other government agencies to vacate these
frequencies by the year-end so that the auctions can be held in 2012.
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