Telecom Operators Emphasise on Same Service, Same Rules to Thrive

Telecom operators of India have strongly restated the need for the adoption of the same rules and same service for the allocation of spectrum to space broadband providers. They emphasised the fact that any move to award airwaves for free would be arbitrary and it is also necessary for the centre to consider the administrative allocation of the radio waves to the telcos. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the Indian non-governmental industry body of telecom operators of India representing Jio, Airtel and Vi put forward its view on the same.

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The Issue of Allocation of Airwaves

The Director-General of COAI, Lt. Gen. Dr SP Kochhar in a statement said that the association is firm on the fact that the spectrum should be treated similarly for anybody offering a similar service. He added that if an entity is not offering a similar service, you can treat it differently under legal jurisdictions or pronouncements. However, explaining the industry’s instance he said that if the same person is giving service to a subscriber, and another one is giving service by other means, but the service is the same, then it should be treated at par with each other in terms of policies and regulation.

He said that the telcos are entitled to a free spectrum if someone else is getting it for free as the service are the same. The issue of administrative allocation of airwaves for satellite-based communications or Satcom services has been ongoing for a while now. Terrestrial operators which include Jio, Airtel and Vi have been clashing with the space broadband providers such as OneWeb, and Tata’s Nelco.