The Union Minster of Communication and Information Technology, Shri A. Raja, issued a statement that listed the circle-wise availability of spectrum for 3G services.
Surprisingly, Delhi will be getting only 15MHz of spectrum, which cannot theoretically support more than three operators. And considering that MTNL is already one of the operators with 3G services in Delhi, that leaves just two slots for private players. Sigh.
Raja confirmed the same in his statement: “Delhi has only 15 Mhz of spectrum available making it possible only for three telecom operators to offer such services.”
Want to know who’s even worse off? The whole of Gujarat gets the same amount of spectrum. And poor Rajasthan will be completely 3G-less, as it has been granted a whopping allocation of 0 MHz.
In the other major locations, Mumbai will get 30MHz, as will Maharashtra; Kolkata has 50MHz available; and Tamil Nadu/Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Orissa will get 60 MHz.
What is also disturbing to see is how the North Eastern states’ constant gripe of feeling ignored reflects in the official documents of the government. Apart from Assam, seven states – Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura – have been clubbed together under the name ‘North East’ and granted 5 MHz of spectrum. In terms of pure practicality, it makes sense because BSNL is the dominant wireless carrier there; but it does convey a much deeper report about the state of affairs in that region as compared to the rest of the country.
“I proud to be Indian”?