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DoT reportedly expects defence ministry to vacate 1700-MHz, 2-GHz bands in next three months.
India is close to freeing up an extra 150 MHz of mobile spectrum, bringing to an end a saga that has dragged on for almost a decade.
According to a Press Trust of India report this week, the Ministry of Defence is expected to complete phase one of vacating the frequencies, located in the 1700-MHz and 2-GHz bands, in the next three months, turning them over to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Phase one of the process covers spectrum in six-to-seven of India’s telecom circles, the PTI report said.
The DoT and the MoD have been discussing freeing up the airwaves since 2007.
In 2009, the two departments signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which the defence ministry would vacate 150 MHz of the 300 MHz of 1700-MHz and 2-GHz spectrum belonging to it, while the DoT agreed to build a dedicated defence network.
That network is still being rolled out.
However, to avoid further delays to freeing up spectrum for mobile services, the government set out a spectrum harmonisation plan, under which the defence ministry was allocated spectrum bands for exclusive use by the MoD. That allowed the defence ministry to push ahead with making the remaining frequencies available to the DoT.
Once the process is complete, the spectrum will eventually be sold off to mobile operators.
