Mobile operators urge DoT to speed up harmonisation of 1800 MHz airwaves

Top mobile operators have urged the telecom department (DoT) to speed up harmonisation of 1800 MHz airwaves, an exercise that will free up an additional 10 MHz of contiguous 4G services spectrum in the band in the run-up to the next auction likely in March next year. The 1800 MHz band is ideal for 4G services since such airwaves are the most widely used for LTE eployments globally, thanks to a mature devices ecosystem, comprising smart-phones, tablets and dongles. However, non-contiguous airwaves in the band are not conducive for 4G LTE services. Harmonisation involves making spectrum in any band contiguous at zero incremental costs, in turn, making the airwaves more efficient.