The 2G scam crusader and BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to set up a core committee of technical experts for the optimum usage of spectrum allocation and bandwidth.
In his detailed letter to Prime Minister, Swamy suggested several ways of efficient usage of spectrum and bandwidth, urging for a total technical revamp in the current system of allocation and usage in India.
“With sharply rising demand for bandwidth, powered by an exponential growth in networked wireless devices — watches, fridges, vehicles, running shoes, “smart” cloth, all of these devices will require access to a network to send and share data. Put all this together, and the commoditisation of bandwidth becomes inevitable,” said Swamy suggesting different methods on future allotment of the scarce natural resource.
Mooting the concept of Dynamic Spectrum Arbitrage Tiered-Priority-Access (DSATPA), Swamy said this t has become a successful method in countries like USA, where the maximum bandwidth is used.
“First, the Government must incentivise the most efficient use of a scarce resource as the market finds a price to fit demand on a second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour basis. Second, as bandwidth becomes a tradable commodity, the barriers to entry into the carrier market will tumble as the purchase of commoditised bandwidth in large and small blocks (which are likely to become more granular over time) becomes possible — allowing almost unlimited levels of specialisation among suppliers and almost unlimited choice for consumers,” he said.
Swamy also suggested “store and forward” operations in spectrum allocation and bandwidth usages in future. As the market in spectrum and bandwidth continues to grow, a mechanism for allocating it based on demand at a given time will be required in order to price it effectively and incentivise sustainable demand on a moment-to moment basis, he said.
“It is logical for public safety to be the earliest adopter of this model given its possession of some of most prime real estate in terms of spectrum on the continent of North America, the world’s most valuable wireless marketplace. India in the 2020 will not be behind. Dynamic Spectrum Arbitrage is a game-changer that will aid the next phase of exponential growth in the utilisation of bandwidth,” added Swamy.