The Indian government is expected to hold 5G spectrum auctions in early June, according to the statements made by telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
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According to a PTI report, the DoT (Department of Telecom) is working as per the expected timeline and the process is underway for resolving the industry¡¯s concerns surrounding spectrum pricing.?
When asked about the commencement of 5G services in India, Vaishnaw added that we could expect that to happen by August-September this year. Vaishnaw reiterated that TRAI was very much as per their timeline to conduct the auction.?
TRAI has tested a mega auction plan that¡¯s valued at over Rs 7.5 lakh crore at the base price across multiple bands for radio waves allocated over 30 years. This is for over 1 lakh megahertz spectrum in case the government actually goes ahead and allocates it for a 30-year period.
If the allocation was to be for twenty years, the total value of the proposed spectrum would come to around Rs 5.07 lakh crore at the reserve price, according to an approximate calculation.
It is crucial to note that TRAI has slashed spectrum prices by 39 percent, however, according to telecom operators they still remain higher than global benchmarks.
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Talking about the pricing, Vaishnaw added that they¡¯ll think over the issue in a systematic manner. Globally it has been accepted that spectrum is a public good and necessity for development. On these grounds, they wish to discuss the issue.
He added that DCC will take a call on the matter in five to six days which will then be sent to TRAI for their reference.?
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