‘Monsoon Hungama’ and the 2G Scam: Public interest and mobile spectrum policy in India, 1999–2012

Abstract

This study explores the rapid diffusion of mobile phones in India by analysing the government policy of spectrum allocation. Spectrum refers to the range of electromagnetic frequencies that make wireless communication possible, and decisions about its allocation are a fundamental influence upon the mobile industry. The analysis is informed by theories of social construction and devotes particular attention to the way regulators have sought to allocate the airwaves to serve the public interest. The research is focused on two key moments of disruption that were particularly influential for the diffusion of phones in India: the introduction of code division multiple access (CDMA) service in the early 2000s and an infamous spectrum scandal of 2008. Information is drawn from interviews with stakeholders in the Indian mobile industry, policy documents and prior scholarship.