Bharti Airtel has approached the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for spectrum in an alternative frequency band for 3G services in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) service area as it could not commercially launch 3G services in J&K with the present frequency band allocated to it.
The operator has suggested to DoT that the spectrum in the 1940-1959 MHz band, which is relatively efficient, would be a suitable alternative to the currently allocated spectrum in the 1974-1979 MHz band which experiences high interference. The operator has claimed that despite having spectrum in three bands – 1974-1979 MHz / 2164-2169 MHz it was unable to launch 3G services in J&K due to acute signal interference emanating from outside India. The company has also submitted the details of interference and drive test analysis reports to the DoT.
Further, Bharti Airtel has sought DoT?s permission to launch BlackBerry services in J&K. It also contended that the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited which does not have official permission for BlackBerry service has been offering the same for some time now. Bharti Airtel has already put in place interception system to offer complete BlackBerry services by December 31, 2012 as directed by the DoT.
Besides, Bharti Airtel has requested the DoT to lift ban on SMS service in J&K for prepaid users, which constitute about 97 per cent of total subscriber base, as security conditions have improved in the telecom zone over the past few years. The Home Department of J&K had banned SMS service for pre-paid users in December 2010. Further, the operator has asked DoT to allow national roaming for pre-paid users in the region.
Bharti Airtel has sought DoT?s approval for the proposed launch of progressive download (PDL) services for the direct-to-home (DTH) customers so that users can avail internet-based services like video on demand. The DoT had, earlier, asked Bharti Airtel not to launch the service until it gets an approval from it . However, Bharti Airtel, in its communication to the DoT, has pointed out that one of the DTH service providers has launched the PDL service without any licence.
