Tech Telecom

BSNL has finally reached out to DoT (Department of Telecommunication) for super premium 700 MHz spectrum for 4G services after it remained unsold in India’s biggest auction due to exorbitant pricing by the government at a reserve or base price of Rs 11,485 crore per MHz.

The telecom operator recently launched trials of 4G services using 2500 MHz band, is now seeking 5 MHz block on 700 MHz band through equity route. BSNL, which is a 100 percent government of India Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), has proposed that the spectrum could be assigned, in lieu of the government raising its equity in the corporation.

BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava said, “Yes. We have written to the Department of Telecom seeking 5MHz block on 700MHz band through equity route”.

Industry bodies like GSMA have urged Indian Government to reconsider the pricing for the 700MHz band, which failed to find buyers due to its “unrealistically” high pricing. But Shrivastava downplayed the concerns on pricing, saying that spectrum in the 700MHz band would be an asset for the corporation, given its plans for 4G services.

“We do not have right kind of 4G spectrum which can give us coverage, although we have some 4G spectrum which can give us the capacity. But 700MHz, if it comes, in combination with 2500MHz band available with us, will put us in a position to roll out 4G services through spectrum route across the country,” he said.

Earlier, Shrivastava said that the device ecosystem for 700-MHz wouldn’t take long to develop. He said that the devices which support 800-MHz can easily support 700-MHz and even now 35 percent of the devices are 700-MHz ready.

“We are proposing that 700MHz spectrum comes to us and in lieu of that, the paid-up equity of the government can increase to that extent in BSNL,” Shrivastava pointed out.

The telecom operator currently has 20 MHz spectrum in the 2,500-MHz band in 14 circles but that gives it only the capacity.