Technological Criticality

• Apart from revenues, 3G technology deployment in India will also bring in efficiency in spectrum usage. For instance, in a 3G network, 175 calls can be taken in 10 MHz compared to 110 calls in 2G.
• For deployment of 3G there exist difference seen technically from GSM and CDMA operators point of view. GSM operators are rushing in with their 3G strategy because of the impending threat from the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile operators such as Reliance Infocomm India and Tata Teleservices India. CDMA operators have an advantage over their GSM counterparts when it comes to 3G deployment because most CDMA networks in India are already 3G-enabled. Simply put, a Reliance Infocomm India is in a position to start offering 3G services from tomorrow once spectrum is allocated while GSM operators will have to set up a whole new network.
• It’s the way the two technologies have evolved. CDMA operators like Reliance have the CDMA 1X technology and they can easily migrate to EVDO (Evolution Data Only). On the other hand, GSM operators will have to set up a parallel network with their existing 2G network to offer 3G services.