Trai proposal on spectrum sharing to help ailing telcos

Debt-ridden telecom companies could reduce their cost of operations with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommending that the government allow telcos to share all categories of spectrum, including airwaves allocated at the old price of Rs 1,658 crore on a first-come-first-serve basis without auction.

The recommendation comes with some riders like sharing can take place only between two telcos in a circle and both of them must possess the same spectrum band.

All access spectrum in the bands of 800/900/1,800/2,100/2,300/ 2,500 MHz will be sharable provided both the licencees have spectrum in the same band, Trai said.

The sectoral regulator further said: "If any one or both of the licencees sharing their spectrum have administratively assigned spectrum (allocated without auction) in that band, then, after sharing, they will be permitted to provide only those services which can be provided through the administratively held spectrum."

Currently, operators are allowed to share passive infrastructure like mobile towers, which has helped them reduce operational cost but not active infrastructure like spectrum.

LIST OF RIDERS FOR TELCOS

>> Both the licencees must have spectrum in the same band
>> A company cannot share 4G with another firm that does not hold the same spectrum
>> If any one or both of the licencees have spectrum allocated without auction in a band, they can provide only those services which can be provided through the administratively held spectrum
>> Trai has suggested restricting of spectrum sharing to maximum two operators only
>> The Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing (WPC), which is custodian of spectrum, will have authority to raise objection(s) to spectrum sharing
>> WPC should inform about objection(s) within 15 days and companies entered into agreement should reply to the WPC within the next 15 days of the receiving of the communication from the wing
>> The WPC will take a final decision and communicate within the next 15 days to the licencees
>> If WPC does not make any communication within the prescribed period, it will be assumed that the sharing agreement has become operational
>> Spectrum sharing should not mean merger of networks