The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will soon be releasing a consultation paper on the roll out of 4G spectrum, even as the process of allocation of 3G radio waves to private operators is yet to begin after successful completion of the auction.
“We will ready with a consultation paper on 4G in a week and expect the regulations to be in place in the next few months,” said TRAI Chairman J. S. Sarma.
Addressing a meeting on ‘The road to broadband — investment and innovation', organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Mr. Sarma said the consultation paper would address issues such as adoption of an optic fibre network, cost of bandwidth, tariffs and the relationship between telecom service providers and internet service providers.
He further said the aim of TRAI was to make broadband an alternative model for the delivery of governance. “We would like to see that broadband is used for improving human development and giving a fillip to agriculture and social sector issues such as healthcare and education,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, US telecom regulator Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski emphasised the economic opportunities arising out of extending broadband to unserved areas. There was a clear co-relation between the adoption of broadband and increasing GDP. Broadband was also seen as a platform for solving the challenges of education, healthcare, public safety and environment, he pointed out.
Mr. Genachowski expressed concern over trends in the U.S. indicating a widening gap between the supply of spectrum and the demand from mobile broadband 3G technology users. The U.S. National Broadband Plan was focussing on decreasing the cost on investment through higher incentives and maximising the depth of infrastructure. It seeks to promote competition and transparency, public safety and accelerating the movement towards e-governance, he added.
