10 Dec, 2010, 06.11AM IST, Rekha Jain, As the world shifts to open spectrum http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/comments--analysis/As-the-world-shifts-to-open-spectrum/articleshow/7074457.cms
The 2G spectrum scam has highlighted the economic and commercial value of spectrum. Mobile services are critical to our shift towards a more knowledge and service-based economy. The increasing mobility of our workforce has created the need for the ability to send and receive data on the go. Competitive pressures have accentuated this need. The decreasing price-performance ratio and the ability to access the internet have further increased the need for mobile wireless services. The critical input for these services is the electromagnetic spectrum. However, since electromagnetic waves may interfere to effectively manage wireless communications, allocations are often made on an exclusive basis. So, each country has its own institutions and regime to manage it. But with changes in technology, it has become possible to provide for shared usage amongst multiple users in the same band as in Wi-Fi or through cognitive radios. Such changes require a rethink of the existing institutions and instruments for managing wireless. Since commercial value of spectrum has only been recognised recently, government departments and users in most countries had been allocated spectrum either at no or low costs, compared to the market value. Since governments agencies, including defence forces, are major users of spectrum, many countries have undertaken a review of the government's usage of this resource. Several countries have also adopted principles of public sector or governments having to pay market prices for spectrum. This has made the user departments and ministries review their own usage of spectrum and make it more efficient, either by adopting new technologies or by releasing spectrum that is not used. Some countries have mandated a planned switchover from all wireless analog communication to digital. Since digital devices and transmission media are more efficient ways of using the spectrum, this has led to release of spectrum, creating more opportunities for its commercial use, as in the 700 MHz band in the US. As further examples of national level commitments, on June 28, 2010, US President Barack Obama signed a presidential memorandum to commit the federal government to make available 500 MHz of federal and commercial spectrum over the next 10 years to foster investment, economic growth and help create jobs by meeting the burgeoning demand for mobile and fixed broadband, other high-value uses and benefits for other industries (http:// www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office / fact-sheet-doubling-amount-commercial-spectrum-unleash-innovative-potential-wireless ). By November, 2010, more than 250 MHz had already been made available. In the UK, the ministry of defence established a single office responsible for management of spectrum for defence and made public the timetable for release of its spectrum. >From a predominantly command and control approach, countries like the US, the UK, Australia have adopted a more 'spectrums common' approach that allows for greater allocation of unlicensed bands due to stipulated low power emission devices. As there is no license fee in these bands and no limit on the number of operators, a lot of innovation and lowcost devices have emerged, such as wireless routers for Wi-Fi. Many countries have announced multiple unlicensed bands. In India, the unlicensed bands are very limited. What is more troublesome is that there is no roadmap regarding when such bands will become unlicensed. What is required is a roadmap for all the bands that clearly lays out the bands that are likely to be available for commercial use, the timeframe and whether these will be licensed or unlicensed, etc. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
