COSTA MESA, Calif., Oct. 2, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) welcomes the 3G spectrum allocation recommendations submitted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for their approval. Recommending the allocation and assignment of 3G spectrum in the 450 MHz, 800 MHz, and 2100 MHz frequency bands is a step in the right direction for India, its telecommunications industry, and its consumers. It is consistent with the fair and transparent manner in which such spectrum is allocated and assigned in other markets that place a premium on ensuring that this scarce commodity and national resource is used efficiently.
The CDG agrees with the recommended principles of using spectrum efficiently, ensuring technology and service neutrality, and establishing a level playing field. These principles will lead to increased competition, further growth, and more affordable services for India's consumers. These universally accepted principles should be applied to both 2G and 3G spectrum allocations and assignments in India.
"The CDMA industry commends the TRAI for their work towards balancing the needs of all operators and technologies and reaching an equitable solution that will benefit India and its constituents," said Perry LaForge, executive director, CDG. "CDMA has played an important role in the expansion of telephony and Internet penetration in India. We urge the Indian government to continue stimulating innovation, competition and further investments by bringing balance and fairness to the allocation of its scarce national resources."
In order to maximize the delivery of 3G services to India's large cities, villages and rural areas, the CDG encourages the DoT to strongly consider allocating and assigning at least 2 x 10 MHz of spectrum in the paired 1900-1910 MHz and 1980-1990 MHz frequency bands. In addition, we encourage reallocating more spectrum in the 800 MHz frequency band.
The CDG supports the recommendation to verify the technical feasibility of co-existing two different 3G technologies in a mixed 1900/2100 MHz band allocation. Mixed 1900 MHz assignments have been used in Indonesia and the Philippines, and multiple technologies (including CDMA2000 and WCDMA) co-exist in the 1900 MHz band in Canada and the United States. The CDG also supports the recommendation to reassign the unused spectrum in the 800 MHz band and re-farm spectrum in the 900 MHz band so that additional carriers can be made available to mitigate a shortage of spectrum in the long-term.
The CDG agrees with the rest of the wireless industry that the recommendations submitted by the TRAI are sensible. However, more can be done to level the playing field within the 2G spectrum bands to increase fair competition. By subjectively allocating 2G spectrum on an incremental basis based on an operator's reported subscriber numbers and a dated spectrum efficiency analysis, CDMA2000 operators are constrained to only half of the amount of spectrum available to GSM operators. The CDG recommends that this unfair policy be rectified and be made consistent with the proposed 3G spectrum policy which places all players on a level playing field. This will ensure India's valuable spectrum is used more efficiently and that all technologies and services are treated equally, without prejudice.
The CDG considers the steps being taken by India's telecommunications authorities with regards to 3G to be fair, sound and consistent with prudent spectrum policy. If the DoT accepts the recommendations that have been submitted by the TRAI, the wireless industry fully expects that consumers and businesses in India will reap the benefits of affordable and varied services. Also, as the fastest-growing wireless market in the world, India will benefit from the expeditious implementation of these recommendations. It will help strengthen India's mobile software and wireless industry, as well as accelerate India's economically driven goal of increasing telephony and Internet penetration in all circles.
About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 169 operators in 75 countries, including 49 CDMA2000 1x-EV-DO systems, serving more than 275 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne(tm) subscribers, there are more than 335 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for cdmaOne, TDMA, analog and greenfield operators, and is deployed in the 450, 800, 1700, 1900 and 2100 MHz bands. Nearly 1,250 CDMA2000 devices from more than 80 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 280 1xEV-DO devices. More information on CDMA2000 is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
About CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA2000 technologies. The more than 130 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA2000 features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA2000-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
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