The government is likely to hold 5G spectrum auction in early June, Union Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday.
The Department of Telecom is working as per expected timeline and the process is on to resolve industry concerns around spectrum pricing, said Vaishnaw. When asked about the schedule of the 5G spectrum auction, he said that it is expected to be in early June.
Setting the stage for the rollout of 5G in India, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has proposed auction of 1 lakh MHz spectrum valued at more than Rs 7.5 lakh crore at the base price across multiple bands. The allocation will be for 30 years.
In case of 20 years, the total value of the proposed spectrum auction will stand at around Rs 5.07 lakh crore at the reserve price, according to the back-of-the-envelope calculation.
"We are very much as per our timeline to conduct the auction," Vaishnaw said, adding that the Digital Communications Commission will take a call on TRAI's recommendations and approach them for clarification.
While the telecom regulator has reduced spectrum price by about 39%, operators have said that the recommended rates are higher than global benchmarks.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
