MTNL Reaches Out to Government for the Allotment of 4G Spectrum

State-run telco Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has now approached the government for the allotment of 4G spectrum in the circles it operates. MTNL is seeking 4G spectrum in two circles Mumbai and Delhi in two bands, and the telco even offered its equity in return. MTNL CMD P K Purwar said to PTI that the firm has written to the Telecom Department regarding the spectrum allotment in the 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands required to launch 4G services. MTNL is making this move to retain the subscriber base and to sustain in the competitive Indian telecom market. “To survive in the mobile telephony market, 4G presence is a must. MTNL has submitted a proposal to the Department of Telecom (DoT) for allotment of 4G spectrum recently,” Purwar told PTI.

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MTNL has its operations in both Mumbai and Delhi circles, while BSNL operates in the rest of the 19 telecom circles. So the telco is looking for 4G spectrum in both the circles. “In the market, over 85% downloads are taking place in data in 4G. In this competitive landscape, every single operator has to have a presence in 4G. To compete effectively, MTNL also requires 4G services in its portfolio,” he said.

Furthermore, it is reported that MTNL is seeking 10MHz in Delhi in the 1800 band and 5MHz in Mumbai in 2100 band. If the government grants the required spectrum to the company, MTNL is looking to roll out 4G services to the consumers in this financial year itself. For the unaware, MTNL currently has spectrum in the 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands along with 2.2 MHz in the 1800 band and 5 MHz in the 2100 band, which the firm is currently using to deliver 3G services in the circles.