Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Thursday said that the 5G spectrum auction is likely to take place between April and May next year (2022).
He said the mitigation measures announced in September this year for telecom operators were the first versions. “The telecom regulatory system needs to change in the next 2-3 years,” Vaishnav added. Speaking at a media briefing, the Minister said that India’s telecom sector regulation needs to be maintained as the best in the world.
“So, now we come up with a series of reforms in terms of telecom,” he said.
Minister Vaishnav said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TROI) was in talks for the 5G auction. “I think they will submit their report by mid-February. Maybe by the end of February / until the maximum of March. We will bid on that soon,” he said.
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The remarks came as the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) had earlier expressed hope that the 5G auction would be held by the end of the current financial year.
It is difficult at this stage to specify the exact duration of the upcoming 5G auction. Because it takes a lot of time for Troy to finalize his views, the minister said.
“But, our estimate is that it could be auctioned in April-May. I had previously estimated that it would be March. But, I think it will take time. Since the consultation process is complicated, different opinions are coming in,” he said.
As groundwork prepares for the 5G spectrum auction next year, DOT has approached Troy for recommendations on pricing, quantum, and other approaches to radiowaves in multiple bands.
These include the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz bands as well as the 3,300-3,600 MHz bands (which were not in the last auction). In the last round of spectrum auction held in March this year, bids for over 855.6 MHz spectra were received for over Rs 77,800 crore.
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