3G services by middle of 2008 - Indian IT Minister

Indian IT minister promises the release of additional spectrum for 2G and 3G services my end of 2007

Telecom Minister A. Raja said on Thursday that the Government was hoping to start 3G services by the middle of next year and that some spectrum for 2G and 3G services could be released by the end of the year. Raja was speaking at the inauguration of 3G India Forum in New Delhi today.

Raja said that he was aware of the fact that a key hurdle to the roll out of 3G services was the availability of spectrum. He said that an institutional mechanism had been put in place for early vacation of spectrum by the Defence Forces.

Raja said 3G offers an exciting opportunity for operators to provide innovative services, especially to the subcontinent's increasingly young, affluent and IT-literate urban population. As the world's second largest growing economy with rapidly rising income levels, India stands to gain enormously from a wide range of broadband mobile services from internet access to mobile TV, he said.

In a situation where telephone handsets are getting smaller and have become completely ubiquitous, and the market for 3G content is beginning to develop rapidly, operators and content providers have to concentrate their efforts on proposing contemporary content and services, the Telecom Minister said. Of course, the availability of cheaper 3G handsets is a major factor that will drive growth of 3G in India, he added.

3G also offers vast potential to open the doors to new social initiatives ranging from telemedicine and distance learning in rural schools to e-Government, according to Raja. Telecom regulator TRAI has pointed out that data applications will take time to reach a critical mass.

This observation was particularly relevant in the Indian marketplace, Raja said. With a current monthly addition of around seven million subscribers in India, it is evident that there was still unmet demand for voice services, he said.
Source : India Infoline