Wireless Planning and Coordination

WIRELESS PLANNING AND COORDINATION WING

The Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) Wing of the Ministry of Communications is the national radio regulatory nodal agency of the Government of India and is responsible for planning, engineering, regulating, managing and monitoring the limited natural resources of Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum and satellite orbits, including geo-stationary (GSO) and non-GSO orbit.
It is also bestowed upon the responsibility of licensing of wireless stations in the country under the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 (ITA 1885) and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933 (IWTA 1933), as statutory requirement.
WPC Wing caters to the needs of all wireless users in the country, government or private, security or civil. Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) is a field organization of WPC Wing dealing with monitoring and enforcement works of spectrum management. WPC Wing / WMO is also the nodal organization representing Government of India in the international forums such as International Telecom Union -Radiocommunication (ITU-R) under United Nations (UN) & Asia Pacific Tele-Community (APT)– the regional counterpart of ITU.
The management of radio spectrum through WPC/WMO is a continuous & ever evolving process. The process starts with planning, thereafter, allotment/licensing, renewal and surrender remains an ongoing activity in the form of technical monitoring and inspection with the ultimate aim of ensuring interference free operations to its authorized/licensed users.

Functions of WPC Wing

1. All matters relating to Spectrum Planning, Spectrum Management and Regulation which includes formulation and analysis of spectrum policy issues.
2. National nodal agency for ITU (International Telecommunication Union) and APT (Asia Pacific Telecommunity) on all issues related to radio frequency management including satellite orbital resources;
3. Efficient, equitable and cost-effective management of a total of 40 odd radio communication services, of which some of the important ones being Aeronautical Radio-navigation Service, Mobile (including cellular mobile), fixed Satellite services including all geostationary orbit and host of other services involving public safety, disaster management, Science services etc.
4. International, and regional coordination with other countries on all matters relating to Radio communication on behalf of Government of India and entering into multilateral/ bilateral agreements and national coordination with all the Ministries/Departments of the Govt. of India for management of all frequency usage in the country.
5. Inter-ministerial coordination to carve out additional spectrum for emerging spectral efficient radio technologies/ applications in lieu of unutilized/ underutilized spectrum lying with the legacy users, commonly known as spectrum refarming;
6. Management of spectrum resources, intra-departmental coordination, for the purpose of auction of spectrum to the access service providers and also post-auction management of spectrum through spectrum harmonization, trading, sharing etc.
7. Consideration of various TRAI recommendations i.r.t. spectrum related matters; dealing with litigations associated with various policy provisions of radio spectrum;
8. Preparation of the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) by reviewing the existing of laws/ rules/ regulations and their amendments with a view to make them more effective and cater the needs of fast changing spectrum usages. The latest one being published in 2018. 
9. Devising a spectrum management policy and delicensing of frequency bands to promote and facilitate innovation and R&D in emerging wireless technologies. This is in sync with contemporary international practices and also provides a regulatory certainty to potential investors and users..
10. Conferences, meetings and discussions at regional (APT) and international level (ITU-R) for timely international harmonization, regional/ sub-regional harmonization/ coordination and bi-lateral agreements.
11. Finalize national view points on relevant matters in the field of telecommunication of other International Organisation viz. International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Economic and Social Council for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), UN forum on peaceful uses of space, etc. Co-ordination and execution of Bilateral co- operation and agreements on spectrum related matters.
12. Grant and renewal of various categories of Wireless Telegraph Station Licenses under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 which includes captive, telecom, satellite and broadcast service providers.
13. Grant of frequency assignments/licenses in HF, VHF, UHF and Microwave radio frequencies in respect of all users including Security Agencies, Government Organisation, Public Sector Undertakings and Private users.
14. Multi-lateral coordination and registration of necessary technical parameters of the satellite with the Radiocommunication Bureau of the ITU.
15. To cater to the spectrum needs of the satellite communication systems and also to acquire the right of using the satellite orbit though the prescribed coordination procedure of ITU-R
16. Site clearance of all wireless installations in the country and related matters concerning the Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocations (SACFA).
17. Issue of licenses/ certificate to operators of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) equipments on board ships and Radio Telephone (RT) equipments on board aircraft; and to Radio Amateurs (HAM) after conduct of proficiency examination in line with International Regulations.

Divisions in WPC HQ

Regional Licencing Office (RLO)

Some licensing functions of WPC Wing was decentralized in the year 2007and delegated to 5 Regional Licensing Offices (RLOs) situated at New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai & Guwahati. These field offices of WPC Wing are headed by JWA (except Guwahati, which is headed by Sr. DWA),  work under the control of WPC HQ, New Delhi and deal with the issue and renewal of non-network licences such as Import Licence, , Experimental Licence, Demonstration Licence, Short Range UHF Hand-held Radio Licence, Maritime Mobile Station Licence (for Ships), Aeronautical Mobile Station Licence (for Aircrafts), Certificate of Proficiency and Licence to Commercial Pilots (COP RTR),  Certificate of Proficiency and licence to Marine Radio Officers (GMDSS), of the regions under them.

Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO)

Wireless Monitoring Organization (WMO) is the nodal agency for providing interference free spectrum to millions of end users in the country. Wireless monitoring is an integral part of the spectrum management. WMO, a field unit of the Wireless Planning and coordination (WPC) Wing, carries out spectrum monitoring through a network of 1(one) International Satellite Monitoring Earth Station (ISMES), 5 International Monitoring Stations (IMSs), and 22 Wireless Monitoring Stations (WMSs), strategically located all over India. WMO is also equipped with 5 Radio Noise Survey Units, which undertake detailed and complicated measurements to aid in the spectrum management activity. As wireless monitoring for spectrum management is a specialized activity, Officers of Indian Radio Regulatory Services (IRRS) are posted in WMO for ensuring interference free spectrum for public telecom services and wireless users. WMO also runs its own Training and Development Centre (T&D Centre) at Ghitorni, New Delhi for spectrum monitoring & management related courses. In addition, WMO, with its 10 Inspection Units, carries out physical inspection of wireless installations.

Major functions of Wireless Monitoring Organisation

1. Resolution of the harmful interference;
2. Monitoring for identification of frequency sub-bands for introduction of new services and/or for additional allocation to existing services;
3. Monitoring for spectrum recovery — unused/ under-used frequency authorizations;
4. Monitoring for ensuring adherence to licensing conditions;
5. Monitoring / measurements for sharing studies;
6. Assistance to domestic wireless users;
7. Assistance to foreign administrations;
8. Conducts exam ASOC Examination for Amateur licenses (HAM)
9. Participation in special monitoring campaigns of the ITU;
10. Issue of Dealer Possession Licence (DPL) for wireless apparatus under Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933; 
11. Measurements on radio emissions for the possible introduction of new radio communication networks, and for studying the EMC compatibility;
12. Inspection of licensed installations; and
13. Monitoring of space emissions to protect authorized satellite transmissions. 
14. Execution of national security related spectrum monitoring activity along the border areas by measurements of cellular signal spillage inside Indian territory from neighboring country.

Organization Setup

1. 22 Wireless Monitoring Stations (WMS), 5 International Monitoring stations (IMS) and 1 International Satellite Monitoring Earth Station (ISMES) at Jalna, strategically located all over the country; 
2. WMS and IMS stations carry out radio frequency signals monitoring in the entire MF, HF, VHF, UHF & Microwave Radio Frequency spectrum ranges; 
3. Training and Development Center, at Delhi, conducts training courses for fresh IRRS Officers/recruits inducted every year through Group “A” UPSC Engineering Services Examinations and other radio monitoring personals viz. Junior Wireless Officers (JWOs) inducted through SSC Examination. It also conducts specialized programs to prepare examiners for the RTR (Aero) examinations and the GMDSS GOC examinations, conducted by the Ministry from time to time as per the schedule. 
4. Radio Noise Survey Units, located at 4 metros and Hyderabad, are entrusted with carrying out measurements on radio emissions. 
5. 10 Inspection units, located in different parts of the country, carry out on-site inspection of wireless installations; 
6. RHQs in 4 metros provide logistic and strategic support to WMSs/ IMSs within their jurisdiction, besides carrying out supervisory function. 
7. As regards Satellite RF signals Monitoring, International Satellite Monitoring Earth Station (ISMES) at Jalna has facilities to monitor radio emissions originating from satellites in GSO arc of 20 deg. E to 140 deg. E to protect Indian Space Services from interferences caused by the emissions from other satellites of any foreign country or vice versa;

List of WMO field units in India