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Additional spectrum for expansion
NEW DELHI: In what might boost its already fastest growing subscriber addition, state-run MTNL has got additional spectrum from Department of Telecom to expand its GSM based mobile services.
"We have got 1.8 Mhz+1.8 Mhz spectrum on 1800 band which would help us expand our mobile services. Earlier, we had 6.2+6.2 Mhz spectrum on 900 Mhz band", MTNL ED (Delhi) A K Arora said.
1800 Mhz band is used to be occupied by defence forces and is configured for normal cellular services. GSM technology works in 900 MHz and 1800 MHz band wherever it is deployed.
Earlier, the regulator TRAI had recommended that that additional spectrum be allocated in the 800Mhz, 1800Mhz and 2Gh band.
The additional spectrum would be more than just useful to MTNL as it has emerged as the fastest growing GSM operator in Delhi and Mumbai. Since January this year, MTNL has doubled its GSM subscriber base in both these metros, the public sector operator has also garnered more subscribers than any of its private competitors.
The PSU is also preparing for the anticipated demand over the next two years. It is floating a four million GSM line tender - two million each for our both service areas Mumbai and Delhi.
In Delhi, the PSU plans to set up 40 more Base Transceiver Towers over the next two months adding to the already 430 towers.
"This is part of our endeavour to meet the target of four lakh GSM subscriber addition by the end of the fiscal. In the last nine months, we have provided 2.93 lakh cellular subscribers," he said, adding it's network in Delhi has 8.25 lakh subscribers capacity and with its current GSM cellular subscriber base at 6.59 lakh, it is planning to enhance the capacity to 10.25 lakh by March 2006.
By March 2007, the GSM network should have a capacity for 20 lakh subscribers, he said.
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