Lok Sabha Question No. 3455 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-02
Subject: Spectrum Availability
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: ABHISHEK SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3455 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND  JANUARY, 2019

## SPECTRUM AVAILABILITY

## 3455. SHRI ABHISHEK SINGH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the present spectrum  availability in various bands  to telecom operators in the country is sufficient in view of huge increase in the number of mobile users and some operators offering unlimited internet usage and calling;
- (b) if not, the action taken by the Union Government in this regard; and
- (c) the  details  of  telecom  operators  who  have  requested  for  expansion  of spectrum availability and the action taken by the Government thereon?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) & (b) Yes,  Madam.  Spectrum  in  various  frequency  bands,  identified  for International Mobile Telecommunications  (IMT), has been  made  available  for allotment  to  telecom  operators  to  meet  their  existing  as  well  as  future  spectrum requirements.  Accordingly,  spectrum  in  700  MHz,  800  MHz,  900  MHz,  1800  MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands has already been made available for allotment to Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) in various service areas. In the last spectrum auction conducted in October 2016, a total of 2354.75 MHz of spectrum in these bands was put to auction of which 964.8 MHz of spectrum was sold.

Recommendations  from  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  have been received for auction of spectrum in 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300-3400 and 3400-3600 MHz bands and are under consideration in the Department. Details of total spectrum available for TSPs in various service areas are at Annexure.

Further,  the  Government  has  also  made  provisions  for  spectrum  sharing, spectrum trading and merger & acquisitions among telecom service providers as per the  guidelines  issued  by  the  Government,  for  promoting  more  efficient  use  of spectrum.

- (c) Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  and  Mahanagar  Telephone  Nigam Limited (MTNL) have requested for allotment of spectrum for providing 4G services. These requests of BSNL and MTNL are under consideration in the Department.

## Annexure

## Spectrum availability for telecom operators in various service areas

| Sl. No.   | Service Area         | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   | Spectrum available for telecom operators in various frequency bands (in MHz)   |
|-----------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Service Area         | 700 MHz                                                                        | 800 MHz                                                                        | 900 MHz                                                                        | 1800 MHz                                                                       | 2100 MHz                                                                       | 2300 MHz                                                                       | 2500 MHz                                                                       | 3300- 3400 MHz                                                                 | 3400- 3600 MHz                                                                 | Total                                                                          |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh       | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 2         | Assam                | 70.0                                                                           | 25.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 726.0                                                                          |
| 3         | Bihar                | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 4         | Delhi                | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 5         | Gujarat              | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 40.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 730.0                                                                          |
| 6         | Haryana              | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 37.2                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 726.8                                                                          |
| 7         | Himachal Pradesh     | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 8         | Jammu and Kashmir    | 70.0                                                                           | 25.0                                                                           | 37.2                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 716.8                                                                          |
| 9         | Karnataka            | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 10        | Kerala               | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 11        | Kolkata              | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 12        | Madhya Pradesh       | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 13        | Maharashtra          | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 14        | Mumbai               | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 15        | North East           | 70.0                                                                           | 25.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 726.0                                                                          |
| 16        | Orissa               | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 17        | Punjab               | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 43.6                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 733.2                                                                          |
| 18        | Rajasthan            | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 37.2                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 726.8                                                                          |
| 19        | Tamilnadu            | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 20        | Uttar Pradesh (East) | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| 21        | Uttar Pradesh (West) | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 37.2                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 726.8                                                                          |
| 22        | West Bengal          | 70.0                                                                           | 35.0                                                                           | 46.4                                                                           | 109.6                                                                          | 80.0                                                                           | 80.0                                                                           | 40.0                                                                           | 100.0                                                                          | 175.0                                                                          | 736.0                                                                          |
| Total     | Total                | 1540.0                                                                         | 740.0                                                                          | 975.2                                                                          | 2411.2                                                                         | 1760.0                                                                         | 1760.0                                                                         | 880.0                                                                          | 2200.0                                                                         | 3850.0                                                                         | 16116.4                                                                        |

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