Reliance Jio complains to govt against plan of rival telcos

In yet another battle in the corporate war in the telecom sector, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJI) has complained to the government that 4G services which rival telcos plan to launch with their 800 MHz and 900 MHz band of spectrum would interfere with each other.

Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has upheld RJI's complaint. WPC has stated that "with the potential use of LTE (long- term evolution of 4G) services in 900 MHz, the CDMA (which currently operates on 800 MHz band of spectrum) and LTE technology are likely to interfere with each other primarily because the downlink and uplink of both technologies are adjacent to each other". WPC has suggested that "appropriate filters be provided at the respective interface in the devices and BTS (base transceiver station or mobile towers). With proper filters and appropriate guard band between different frequencies, such interference issues can be mitigated". If this suggestion is pushed through, CDMA operators will have to invest in installing filters, which will increase their operating costs.

RJI's complaint is being viewed as part of the bitter rivalry among telcos. Rajan S. Mathews, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India ( COAI), said, "It cannot ( interference between 800 and 900 MHz band of spectrum) be possible.

Also equipment makers have appropriate filters."

Courtesy: Mail Today