NEW DELHI (WiMAX Day). In an effort to ensure that affordable wireless broadband will be introduced in India, the Department of Telecom (DoT) in India has announced its intention to allocate three radio frequencies dedicated to WiMAX, and one shared frequency. The WiMAX frequencies include those in the ranges of 2.3–2.4 GHz, 3.4–3.6GHz and, surprisingly, a 700 Mhz band.

According to the India Times, much of this spectrum is presently controlled by the Department of Space (DoS). The DoT has requested that the spectrum be released immediately for commercial use by WiMAX, and that 150 Mhz of spectrum should be released in the 3.4–3.6 GHz range only for WiMAX.

Shared Spectrum
In the 2.5–2.6 GHz range, the DoT has had many requests for licenses for use with 3G services. However due to lack of available spectrum, and the high cost of launching 3G networks, in comparison to the low cost of WiMAX, the DoT is reportedly skeptical of the 3G value proposition.

The DoT wants to make competitive wireless broadband services available throughout India, and thus they have requested that an initial 95 Mhz of spectrum be released for use with both WiMAX and 3G services.

The Hindu further reported yesterday that Mr P K Garg, an advisor to the Indian government on wireless matters, underscored the idea of shared spectrum while addressing attendees at the Wireless Tech India 2006 conference last week when he stated: “[the usable] Spectrum is finite, and the solution is increased sharing and greater use of the available spectrum.”

There are other uses for this spectrum. For instance, the DoS has stated that some of the 2.5-2.69 Ghz is being used for various satellite-based mobile and broadcast applications, including disaster warning, radio and networking.

For the 2.3–2.4 GHz spectrum, the India Times also reported that the DoT has requested this spectrum for WiMAX service, and has initiated steps to consult “the equipment manufacturers for availability of standard WiMAX equipment in addition to setting a time-frame for delivery.”

Focus on rural deployment
The WiMAX solution for India also must address the need to rural connectivity, according to the DoT. To achieve this, the DoT announced that they will request to open spectrum in the 700 Mhz frequency that would be reserved for the deployment of rural WiMAX. DoT Telecommunication Engineering Centre Sr Deputy Director General P N Padukone commented that this spectrum, and WiMAX in general “could also solve the ‘last mile’ connectivity problems that prevent internet connectivity in rural India.”