The state-run telco will offer the services through the 2.5 GHz band
Indian state-owned operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited expects to launch 4G LTE services by March 2016, The Economic Times reported.
Anupam Shrivastava , the operator’s managing director, said the telco will launch LTE services through spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band. “We have spectrum in 2.5 GHz across 15 licensed service areas in the country and we are planning to launch 4G services by the end of the current fiscal,” the executive said.
The state-run telco is also evaluating device-bundling options for 4G services and is currently in negotiations with several device manufacturers, according to Shrivastava.
BSNL had more than 77 million mobile subscribers by the end of May, representing a market share of nearly 8% of the country’s overall mobile telephony market.
Last month, Indian telco Bharti Airtel launched its 4G LTE services in 296 towns and cities across India. Bharti Airtel had initially launched India’s first 4G LTE network in Kolkata in April 2012, through spectrum in the 2300 MHz band.
Rival operator Reliance Jio aims to launch 4G services in India by the end of the year. The LTE service will be offered through spectrum in the 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2300 MHz bands. Reliance has had a pan-India LTE license in the 2300 MHz band since 2010.
In related news, the government of India has approved new regulations that will allow mobile operators to trade spectrum across all bands. Under the new regulation, local mobile providers will be allowed to sell the spectrum through trading only after two years from the date of its acquisition through auction or spectrum trading or administratively assigned spectrum converted to tradable spectrum.
Last month, the government announced new regulations that allow telcos to share mobile spectrum.
Singapore operators opposed to the entry of new player in the mobile segment
Singapore’s incumbent mobile operators SingTel, StarHub and M1 have opposed a proposal by the country’s telecom services regulator IDA to auction a block of spectrum at a significantly lower reserve price and only allow potential new entrants to participate.
The regulator has proposed to auction 60 megahertz of spectrum in the 700 MHz to 900 MHz range to allow a fourth mobile operator to enter the market. It has suggested a reserve price of SG$40 million ($28.3 million) for the spectrum, compared to a normal reserve price of SG$100 million.
However, the three mobile operators said that that the entry of a new operator could negatively impact the mobile market, arguing that the entry of a new player will deteriorate the quality of mobile services. The operators also said that this decision may discourage new investments in the sector.
The potential firms to compete for the fourth license include fixed-line ISP MyRepublic and startup OMGTel.
