First quarter agenda of DoT

Kapil Sibal, the Union Ministry of Communication, IT and Human Resource chokes out a to-do-list for the next quarter of 2011 for telecommunications, information technology, human resource and postal department. With regard to the department of telecommunication, the action plan focuses on three prominent aspects - maintaining telecom industry robust, ensuring revenue flow to the government and providing services at reasonable cost.

The action plan of Department of telecommunication:
* Department of telecommunication aims at evolving a discreet and transparent functioning covering Licensing, Spectrum allocation, tariffs/pricing, linkage with roll out performance, flexibility within licenses, spectrum sharing, spectrum trading, MVNOs, unlicensed bands, M&A, etc.and ensures the interest of common people.
* To ensure availability of Spectrum for telecom industry, dialogue will be initiated with Department of Space/Information & Broadcasting/Defence, PSUs on 'Vacation of Spectrum' and for identification of Defence Band and Defence Interest Zone. National Frequency Allocation Plan 2011 (NFAP) shall be released. Spectrum allocations, availability and status of pending applications for spectrum shall be published on the department's web site.
* Immediate steps will be taken to resolve outstanding 'Security issues'. Steps will be taken to enable operators to launch 3G services in their entire plenitude without delay. Security issues regarding telecom equipment procurement, messenger services and subscriber verification will be resolved. Steps will be taken to establish the Central Monitoring System which will facilitate and prevent misuse of lawful interception facility.
* 11 years have passed since NTP '99 and many changes have taken place thereafter. Action will be initiated to formulate a comprehensive 'National Telecom Policy 2011' including the recognition of Telecom as infrastructure and as an essential service, encouraging Green Telecom, steps to accelerate migration from IPv4 to IPv6 at the earliest, release of IPv6 standards by Telecom Engineering Centre for implementation in the country, etc.
* All possible efforts will be made to fill up Board Level vacancies in PSUs and for greater participation of BSNL/ MTNL and C-DOT in national and socially important programmes, while addressing structural issues, improving internal efficiency and financial performance of BSNL/ MTNL.
* Country-wide launch of 'Mobile Number Portability'.
* Vigorous measures will be taken to address public concerns about health hazards due to the EMF radiation from Mobile towers including laying down relevant standards, supplementing equipment with TERM Cells and ensuring adequate field-testing.
* Formulation of a package of measures to promote 'manufacturing of telecom equipment' in the country.
* Launch of a 'Wireless Broadband Scheme' by USOF to provide wireless broadband coverage to about 5 lakh villages, leveraging the existing passive infrastructure created for mobile telephony in rural and remote areas.
* Concrete steps towards finalization of 'National Broadband Plan' including strategy for implementation and initiation of steps for roll out of Optical Fibre.