India Reallocates Mobile TV Spectrum to Mobile Broadband

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published


The United States isn't the only country where regulators are searching for more spectrum for wireless broadband services. The Hindu Business Line Website reported on New spectrum bands identified for mobile broadband service.

One of the bands targeted in India is already reallocated to wireless carriers and public safety users in the United States--the 700 MHz band. The article observed that India's National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) had earmarked the entire 700 MHz band for mobile broadband services. It said, "This band was being eyed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for mobile TV services, but the NFAP has pushed the broadcasting services to another band, raising doubts about the future of mobile TV services."

The article said S-band frequencies between 2.5 and 2.6 GHz, which are now exclusively used by INSAT systems for satellite services such as meteorological data dissemination, would be opened up for broadband use. When you add up the bands that are targeted for wireless broadband telecom companies could get an additional 200 MHz of spectrum if the NFAP is implemented. However, implementation depends on inter-ministerial negotiations.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.