Hi Ram, thanks for this article on "Rationalizing Spectrum" which appropriately enough, was published on Business Line. I think a lot of publishing of this sort is going on around spectrum - kind of subtle advocacy and opinion building and of course, behind the scenes, I'm sure there must be not-so-subtle "advocacy" also going on.
I see the take on the so-called "digital dividend" spectrum, and the push for service and technology agnostic licensing structure being points of concern.. the former threatening to take away what's left of the terrestrial tv spectrum and the latter strengthening the vice like grip of telcos on the market, not to mention the spectrum band. What is needed is a wider interpretation of how to utilize spectrum. Currently its only limited to nationalism (india can be the leader over the US, Europe kind of nonsense) or market forces (digital dividend kind of stuff). How can we bring in the other dimensions to this debate? It only reiterates the urgency of a 'community media platform' which some of us were talking about a while ago. best, Ram On Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 11:53 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Send cr-india mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/cr-india > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of cr-india digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. INDIA: Film tells the story of three women who are in > community radio ([email protected]) > 2. Just Published UNESCO Book "Broadcasting Science" (Puna Das) > 3. First community radio station on air in Bangladesh > (sajan venniyoor) > 4. Canadian radio journalist - would like to work/volunteer at > Kumaon Vani radio station in June (Jennifer Chen) > 5. "A village waits for its radio station' (Cheeded, Andhra > Pradesh) (sajan venniyoor) > 6. Rationalizing spectrum (N.Ramakrishnan) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 02:34:24 -0400 > From: [email protected] > To: undisclosed-recipients:; > Subject: [cr-india] INDIA: Film tells the story of three women who are > in community radio > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 > > INDIA: > > Narsamma, Parul Ben and Triveni live in different villages of India -- > they could be living the life of an average rural woman had it not been > for a tiny device called the radio. > > Film tells the story of these women who are in the middle of a community > radio revolution and it is through their eyes that we see this phenomenon > unfolding. Travelling across Kutch in Gujarat, Budikote in Karnataka and > Pastapur in Andhra Pradesh , the film showcases the exemplary work that > these radio stations do to bring about awareness and social change. > > http://bit.ly/kLaPve > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 10:22:04 +0530 (IST) > From: Puna Das <[email protected]> > To: KM-Forum <[email protected]>, [email protected] > Cc: [email protected], libtech <[email protected]>, > [email protected], OADL <[email protected]>, > "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, > [email protected], [email protected] > Subject: [cr-india] Just Published UNESCO Book "Broadcasting Science" > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Broadcasting Science > > by KP Madhu and Savyasaachi Jain > > Published in 2010 by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural > Organisation (UNESCO), New Delhi and Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting > Development (AIBD), Kuala Lumpur > > This book is for broadcasters of all flavours, colours and tastes. Whether > you are reporting politics, business, sports, fashion or any other beat, > which appear far removed from science, you will benefit from having a basic > awareness of science. > Science is not all about faraway galaxies or subatomic particles. It is > about explanations about natural phenomena, including our society. So, > politics, religion or our thought processes or imagination are not beyond > the scope of scientific investigation. > For example, if you are reporting a local conflict, there are enough > scientific studies on aggression and violence that may throw light on the > situation. > You can give a new spin on sports if you have enough understanding about > sports science and the pharmacology of performance enhancing drugs. > Business cycles are specific examples of quasi-periodic phenomena and your > reporting would bear a fresh perspective if you could dig deep into > non-linear dynamics. > How can you report on a crime without understanding the basics of forensic > science? This book will help you to improve your programme even if you are a > DJ presenting songs at a local radio station. > Of course, if you want to specialize in science reporting, you might want > more awareness of science than what a producer of a cookery show would need. > We have something for you too in this book. > > Download Full-text PDF: > http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001921/192165e.pdf > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Dr. Anup Kumar Das > New Delhi, India > http://anupkumardas.blogspot.com/ > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2011 11:43:00 +0530 > From: sajan venniyoor <[email protected]> > To: CR India <[email protected]> > Subject: [cr-india] First community radio station on air in Bangladesh > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > First community radio on air -- Lokobetar's test run starts in Barguna > The Daily Star, 31 May 2011 > http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=187959 > > The country's first community radio named Lokobetar has begun test > transmission in the district town of Barguna to build public opinion on > development issues like democracy, good governance, human rights, > anti-corruption, health and women empowerment. > > Mass-Line Media Centre (MMC), a development organisation, with financial > and > technical support from Unesco, set up the radio station, which has been on > trial since May 27 and is expected to go for full-fledged transmission by > mid-June. > > MMC officials will operate the radio while local community will star in the > programmes. > > Tarek Mahmud, acting head of Lokobetar, said the radio equipment costs > stand > at about Tk 10 lakh. > > The radio now broadcasts programmes for an hour daily, which would be > increased gradually, said MMC officials. > > Musical programmes are being transmitted with some social messages on > issues > such as public health, education, women oppression, child marriage, and > dowry. Weather and agriculture news are also on the list. > > In 1998 MMC applied to the information ministry asking for licence for > community radio. The government provided 14 licences in April last year. > > About 17 kilometers circle of Barguna town will get the FM 99.2 radio > frequency of Lokobetar while 12 lakh people have been targeted. The > programme can be listened on radio set or mobile handset. > > Although the radio has been on test run, the operator has yet to set up a > 100-feet high antenna structure. Rather, the antenna has been set up on the > rooftop of a house. > > "So the targeted group will not receive the signal at the moment. The > studio > is also yet to be built," said Mahmud. > > Nyma Nargis, project officer (communication and information) of Unesco, > said, "We believe community radio will play a successful role in creating > mass awareness on issues such as democracy, good governance, human rights, > anti-corruption movement, health, environment, women empowerment, gender, > youth and child rights, and non-formal education." > > She said communities would be better prepared to accept the radio station > and interested to engage in the activities related to community radio > programming. > > Unesco Dhaka office initially provided two community radio stations. The > Centre for Communication and Development (CCD), a Rajshahi-based media > organisation, will operate the other radio station that would come into > transmission soon. > > The government has a plan to establish a community radio on agriculture > information services in Barguna. > > [Thanks to George Lessard for the link] > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/cr-india/attachments/20110601/290f1647/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 14:40:30 +0530 > From: Jennifer Chen <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: [cr-india] Canadian radio journalist - would like to > work/volunteer at Kumaon Vani radio station in June > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Hello, > > I am a Canadian journalist who is travelling through India and I am looking > for opportunities to work/volunteer in community radio. I work in Vancouver > BC at CBC Radio (the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and have been in > journalism for about 10 years. I heard there is a community station called > Kumaon Vani in UK state. I would like the opportunity to work or volunteer > at the station and learn from them, and share my experiences and skills. > > I am currently in Rishikesh, and will be available immediately to do some > volunteer work, until the 11th. Otherwise I am available after the 17th. > > Please advise if there is someone I can contact at the radio station about > visiting and working with the people working at the radio station. My India > mobile is 9818261574. > > Thank you > Jennifer Chen > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/cr-india/attachments/20110531/a22f0e18/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2011 08:57:06 +0530 > From: sajan venniyoor <[email protected]> > To: CR India <[email protected]> > Subject: [cr-india] "A village waits for its radio station' (Cheeded, > Andhra Pradesh) > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252" > > *After all the hard work, a village waits for its radio station* > Chinki Sinha, The Indian Express, 3 Jun 2011 > > http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/After-all-the-hard-work--a-village-waits-for-its-radio-station/798823/ > > New Delhi: The 935 people in this tiny village are waiting to tune in to > their own radio frequency, a reward they have been promised for their good > work. > > Cheeded, in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh, will be the first > village in the country to be rewarded with a set of radio frequency for its > work in the implementation of rural development schemes such as NHRM, NREGA > and those related to education. > > For six months, volunteers with the Ministry of Rural > Development—village-based cadres under the Bharat Nirman project who act as > a bridge between the administration and the people—worked on the needs of > the village. They even prohibited liquor sale in the village as they > figured > villagers spent an average of Rs 10,000 a day on alcohol. > > The volunteers worked with primary health clinics to ensure better health > and nutrition for the villagers, got the state government to agree to their > demand of digging wells in the village (something that had been prohibited > by the state in view of the rampant corruption) and got funds for > constructing toilets in each household. > > For all this work, the Rural Development ministry has decided to reward the > village with its own community radio station. It is an incentive that will > be extended to other such villages that score in terms of implementing > development schemes under the ministry. > > The Rural Development ministry wrote to the Ministry of Information and > Broadcasting, recommending Cheeded village for an exclusive radio > frequency, > where members can discuss issues like micro-credit or animal husbandry. > > K Chandramouli, Commissioner of the Andhra Pradesh Academy of Rural > Development, said the radio frequency incentive was in line with the > ministry’s aim of eliminating gaps in communication between the government > and the beneficiaries. > > “The community radio plan instills a sense of ownership among the > villagers. > Community radio is about concerns that both the listener and the speaker > share. Why would a villager in a remote village want to know about the > Prime > Minister’s visit to Mauritius or Shah Rukh Khan’s tour of the US,” said > Chandramouli. “For instance, the speaker can announce a programme where a > woman from a particular village can share her experiences about borrowing > money and setting up some industry.” > > Community radio stations have a reception range of 40-50 km and villages in > that radius can tune in. An exclusive set of frequency will be given to the > villages that become eligible. > > In Andhra, villages like Jaheerabad and Tirupathi have their own community > radios set up by NGOs. These radio stations acted as a catalyst for > development as villagers were made aware of the rural schemes through > programmes broadcast on radio. The success of these radio stations > encouraged the ministry to award radio frequencies to model villages. > > It takes Rs 20,000 to set up a community radio station and the funds will > be > allocated from the ministry’s Lab-to-Land project, which focuses on > ensuring > that development schemes reach people and not just remain on paper because > of lack of awareness. > > Of the six villages in Andhra Pradesh that have their radio frequency sets, > Cheeded will be the first to win one. > > “It is not just radio, it is community action. In seven months, the kind of > churning that took place in these villages is an indicator of the success > of > the Bharat Nirman programme,” Niten Chandar, Joint Secretary in the > ministry, said. > > “Rs 8 lakh crore is spent on rural development schemes every year. Cheeded > is an experiment. It is a very vibrant community and every household has a > toilet, clean water and reserve forest land. Institutional delivery has > been > fixed.” > > Chandar said the ‘Bharat Nirman Volunteers’ scheme will ensure the right > implementation of all schemes and programmes. Already, 20,000 volunteers > have been trained in 40 blocks across the country. “These Bharat Nirman > volunteers will see if their village meets the objectives and we will > decide > on the basis of their reports,” he said. > > “It is ambitious but we are hopeful it will work,” an official said. > > Meanwhile, Cheeded is waiting to tune in. > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/cr-india/attachments/20110603/968512f0/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2011 10:26:24 +0530 > From: "N.Ramakrishnan" <[email protected]> > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > Subject: [cr-india] Rationalizing spectrum > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed" > > > A spectrum of uses > > V. SRIDHAR/THOMAS CASEY (Courtesy: Business Line, 05.06.11) > > While opinions vary on whether operators are facing a real spectrum > crunch or are not utilising the allotted spectrum effectively, the > Ministry of Communications and IT must look beyond the constant tussle > with Defence over the release of additional spectrum for commercial > mobile services. > > It is not hard for us to imagine that given a suitable environment, > mobile data and Internet service penetration in India will scale new > heights, much as mobile voice has done. > > According to recent research, the number of mobile Internet users has > jumped from eight million last year to 25 million, and about 49 per cent > use mobile only for Internet access. What can the Ministry and the > Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) do to enable India to take > a lead in the adoption of mobile Internet? > > Many countries are moving towards a technology-agnostic spectrum policy. > The European Union has embarked on re-farming the traditional 2G > spectrum in the 800 and 900 MHz bands to deploy 3G or even 4G networks > with relatively higher spectral efficiencies, especially for data > services. In India, as there is no level playing field for the 2G and 3G > operators, we have mandated specific technologies (read 2G in 900 MHz > and 3G in 2,100 MHz) for each spectrum band. > > The new telecom policy should pave way for a technology- and > service-agnostic roadmap for spectrum management and address the use of > 900 MHz for 3G services. This is expected to resolve the spectrum > bottleneck in dense urban areas with minimum cell sites, thanks to the > good propagation characteristics of 900 MHz radio frequencies, including > better in-building coverage and quality of service. > > The second alternative is to review the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band > traditionally used for terrestrial TV broadcasting. Contrary to many > other developed countries, in India there is high penetration of cable > TV and direct-to-home digital satellite TV, even in rural areas. The > terrestrial over-the-air broadcasting is mainly done by Doordarshan. > Hence, there is a clear economic motivation for the Government to switch > to digital terrestrial transmission, thus releasing the 700 MHz band --- > commonly referred to as the "digital dividend spectrum" --- for > commercial mobile services. > > Though there seems to be an initiative on this front by the Department > of Telecommunications and TRAI, the pace needs to be quickened. > Broadcast services such as Mobile TV can be effectively provided on > this band. As the US and most of EU plan to release the abovementioned > spectrum band, the compatible equipment and handsets are expected soon > in the market at relatively lower prices. India can jumpstart this > evolution and become a pioneer in the implementation of digital dividend. > > Under the third option, the Government can allow the development of a > range of secondary markets. With no operator given nationwide allocation > of 3G/ Broadband Wireless Spectrum (BWA), users are expected to pay > hefty roaming charges. > > In the simplest form, the Government should allow "national roaming" > wherein a subscriber of Operator 1 can hook on to the network of > Operator 2 wherever the former has no network, through an appropriate > spectrum and capacity sharing agreement. The user will be treated as an > "in-net" subscriber and no roaming charge will apply. This is allowed in > many EU countries. This method promotes sharing of scarce network > resources and improves utilisation. > > Other approaches range from allowing Mobile Virtual Network Providers > access to under-utilised spectrum of network operators; allowing network > operators to share spectrum amongst themselves in a manner that promotes > efficient utilisation; and, finally, opting for the Dynamic > Opportunistic Spectrum Sharing methods, which are being deployed on an > experimental basis in the US, wherein any service provider or user can > opportunistically seize vacant spectrum blocks, either licensed or > unlicensed (as in the case of TV white spaces that exist between > adjacent TV channels) in a non-interfering way. > > In the US, the Federal Communications Commission has designated eight > entities, including Google, for managing such TV white space spectrum > databases. The cognitive radio-based systems that embed detection of > such vacant spectrum blocks using spectrum databases, though currently > at an incipient stage, are expected to completely overhaul today's > "command and control" regime of spectrum management. > > The Government could think along these lines and provide a roadmap that > can help the industry plan better. Tools such as Spectrum Management > System for Developing Countries (SMS4DC), developed by the International > Telecommunications Union, should be used by the Wireless Planning and > Coordination Wing of the Department of Telecommunications. On the other > hand, operators should welcome the above initiatives and embrace newer > technologies that can enable us to network and communicate better, and > hence prosper in the knowledge- and service-based century. > > /(Dr. V. Sridhar is Research Fellow, Sasken Communication Technologies, > Bangalore, India and Thomas Casey is Research Scientist, Department of > Communications and Networking, Aalto University, Finland. Views are > personal. )/ > > -- > N.Ramakrishnan > > Director of Projects > Ideosync Media Combine > 177, Ashoka Enclave III > Sector 35, Faridabad - 121 003 > Haryana - India > > Tel: +91-0129-4131883/4064883/4065883/6510156 > Mobile: +91-9810273883 > Web: www.ideosyncmedia.org > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/cr-india/attachments/20110606/730e9a89/attachment.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > cr-india mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/cr-india > > > End of cr-india Digest, Vol 76, Issue 1 > *************************************** >
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