The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has demanded imposition of tough situations for permitting enterprises to arrange “captive non-public networks”.
The transfer comes only a few days after the Cabinet, regardless of opposition from telcos, permitted enterprises to arrange private networks, with the division of telecom (DoT) assigning them spectrum straight.
In a letter to DoT secretary Ok Rajaraman on June 18, the COAI demanded non-assignment of spectrum within the non-International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) (5G) bands reserved for telcos.
It additionally made a requirement for proscribing the scope of such private networks for solely machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and plant automation throughout the premises of a plant.
COAI additionally needs to make sure that they don’t have any connection to public switched phone networks (PSTN), web cloud platforms, one other private community or a number of workplaces and buildings.
COAI has additionally stated that the spectrum assigned to finish customers mustn’t end in creation of third events or intermediaries working on behalf of the enterprise.
The purpose they stated is that creation of third events or intermediaries putting in and working the community for private networks would “result in backdoor entry for third parties to act as telecom service providers (TSPs) without obtaining the spectrum through the same process (auctions) as TSPs.”
Therefore, just like the unified licensees, private community house owners “must own all equipment installed for the purpose of private networks and not obtain them on lease/rental from the third party players”. If they need to achieve this they have to get hold of the spectrum by way of the identical course of as TSPs.
The transfer — if applied — might preserve out every other rivals like world tech firms Google, Amazon or IT firms to present the companies.
It would limit the collaboration for enterprises solely to a number of telcos.
In the letter, the telcos have additionally stated that use circumstances meant for the lots can’t be a part of a captive community.
They have argued that there was demand from many stakeholders that captive networks might create use circumstances for monetary inclusion and agriculture sector connectivity.
But telcos have demanded that since monetary inclusion by design intends to embrace 100 per cent of the inhabitants, and agriculture sector would wish interconnection of 70 per cent of the inhabitants, such use circumstances can’t be undertaken by captive networks.
Also, demand from some stakeholders for allocating spectrum to arrange private networks for vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity, controlling drones and M2M connectivity from gadgets can’t be allowed, it stated.
Justifying its stand that no IMT band spectrum ought to be assigned to captive networks, COAI has stated there’s already a scarcity of harmonised spectrum for TSP networks.
At current, solely the three.3 Ghz mid-band and the two.85 Ghz have been put for public sale in 5G.
However, if different bands which are seemingly to be recognized for IMT should not reserved, it might constrain TSPs.
They would then not have the ability to correctly plan their networks to meet buyer demand.
It stated that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has ignored the difficulty whereas recommending 3.7-3.8 GHz and 28.5-29.5 GHz for private captive networks.
The COAI letter additionally requested private networks to guarantee no interference to different networks. Also, it stated that they need to guarantee compliance to electro-magnetic discipline (EMF) norms, subscriber verification guidelines and observe all safety norms, amongst others.
It added that they need to additionally come beneath lawful interception necessities and observe roll out obligations like telcos.
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