On December 11, 2008, a rather momentous event took place whenthe Union Telecommunications Minister A. Raja placed a video call toPrime Minister Manmohan Singh over a third-generation (3G) mobilenetwork. Don't celebrate just yet, because, while this call was madeon a Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) network, the serviceis still a good two-three months away from a fullfledged commercialdeployment.
However, despite the controversy that he has courted over theseemingly arbitrary allocation of additional second-generation (2G)spectrum, Raja has ploughed ahead with his plans for an auction of3G spectrum for private players early in 2009. The UPA Government,which is facing mounting bills over their social programmes, is alsokeen on the auction to go through, as they expect to raise betweenRs 20,000-40,000 crore.
The problem now is not one of Raja's making, but mired inhistory. 3G might be here, but there is barely any spectrum for it.The 2100 megahertz band, which will be used for 3G, is crowded byIndia's defence forces. Despite pleas to do so, the armed forceshave held on to spectrum in India's most lucrative mobile market NewDelhi. So, even if the auctions go through, the capital will havevery few 3G service providers. But then again, the services have tocome in the first place.
So, what really is 3G? In the hoopla surrounding the term, thequestion no one answers is: 'what is the big deal about 3G?' Theshort answer is that 3G will allow operators to offer voicefacilities far more efficiently than today's networks. Thanks to theHigh Speed Packet Access (HSPA) standard that is most likely to beused to deliver 3G services, it might be possible to allow ratherhigh speeds over-the-air broadband.
3G, of course, is not the only story unfolding as we move into2009. The government is planning to auction spectrum in the 2300 and2500 megahertz band for Intel's Wi-Max as well. However, the longand painful gestation period for Wi-Max might see it upstaged bysomething called Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fourth-generation (4G)mobile networks. This new standard has one inherent advantagecoupled with new types of radio modules on handsets, it can operateover a range of frequencies.
The good news is that unlike other countries where terrestrial TV(signals you pick up with an aerial) has crammed the 700-megahertzspectrum with channels, India has a lot of free spectrum there. Inthe US, which is switching over to an all-digital TV broadcastregime, the 700-megahertz spectrum was auctioned for several billiondollars. LTE, which will provide lightning fast broadband and voicechannels, can operate in this frequency. Better still, LTE is on theverge of its first commercial deployments globally.
India's delay in going mobile allowed the country to skip thetrouble of legacy mobile systems, which plagued some other nations.The inordinate delay in launching 3G networks might just mean thatIndian telecom can do anotherskipand enter the field of 4G.
To the uninitiated, 4G (also known as Beyond 3G), is a term usedto describe the next complete evolution in wireless communications.A 4G system is able to provide a comprehensive IP solution, wherevoice, data and streamed multimedia can be given to users onananytime, anywherebasis, and at higher data rates than previousgenerations.The good news is that having delayed 3G implementationfor so long, service providers in India could decide to skip theHSPA and Wi-Max standards and deploy LTE or 4G, which is moreefficient than HSPA and better at data than Wi-Max. Don't besurprised if India signs up to the LTE bandwagon early on.
Can I use 3G networks next year? Sooner than you think, as Delhiand Mumbai users will be able to dial on MTNL'sJadoo3G service fromFebruary-March. BSNL should also start 3G services soon.
Will I be able to use my expensive iPhone 3G? No. That is lockedto the Airtel or Vodafone networks. You could use an unlocked iPhone3G, but that isn't quite legal.
If I have a fancy 3G device, will I be able to transfer my numberto MTNL or BSNL? Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is on the cards,but the decks are yet to be cleared by the government.
When will the private operators offer 3G? The government isplanning auctions by January and private operators should havelimited 3G networks by late 2009.
What is 4G all about? 4G will be a fully IP-based integratedsystem, providing between 100 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s speeds indoors andoutdoors, with premium quality and high security.Number portability
Will it create more problems than it solves? Many in the telecomindustry expect that if 3G is launched, Mobile Number Portability(MNP) will become a reality, simply because the telecom companiesthemselves will demand it. If large incumbents get 3G licences, theywill be able to move their high-end customers over to 3G networkswhile retaining new numbers.
No comments:
Post a Comment