Service Provider does not have adequate coverage in
your circle (Eg. Pune) then it may tie-up with some other operator within the
same circle which would allow you to use its network in the areas of low
coverage. Thus a subscriber of operator 'A' would be latched onto the network
of operator 'B' within the same circle. This is intra-Circle roaming. The
MVNO's also use a similar concept of infrastructure sharing. In near future,
operators might start sharing the 3G infrastructure on the similar concept to allow
3G services to its customers.
Current
scenario:-
May 2014 Telecom operators Vodafone and Idea
Cellular have resumed 3G services in circles where they don't have spectrum
through intra-circle roaming (ICR) pacts with other operators. Bharti Airtel
has also announced resumption of its 3G services in circles where it don't have
spectrum.
This announcement by the operators comes post the
Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) ruling last week.
The TDSAT bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam has said 3G ICR agreement signed
by Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular was not violating of licence agreement.
Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular had approached
TDSAT against department of telecom order to stop 3G intra-circle roaming
agreement under which they had also agreed to acquire customers in area where
they did not win spectrum.
Vodafone would provide circles where the 3G roaming
services will be provided to both post-paid and pre-paid users are MPCG (Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh), Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, HP,
J&K, UP West, Bihar and Assam and North East.
Idea would provide customers in Delhi, Mumbai,
Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kolkata and West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Assam and
North East can now avail 3G services. Similarly Airtel customers can now use 3G
services in Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, MPCG (Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh), Gujarat, Kolkata and UP (East). …
However, there will be no 3G service in Odisha from
these operators as all three don't have 3G spectrum there. Airtel, Vodafone and
Idea Cellular won 3G spectrum in 2010 auction. Airtel won 3G spectrum in 13 out
of 22 telecom service area for Rs. 12,295.46, Vodafone in 9 for Rs 11,617.86
and Idea Cellular in 11 circles for Rs 5,768.59 crore.
Sanjeev Pennada
Systems and Finance
Systems and Finance
2013-2015