Regulator’s 5G recommendations in 7-10 days; work in final stages: Trai secretary

Mar 29, 2022

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NEW DELHI: Telecom regulator Trai’s much-awaited suggestions on 5G spectrum pricing and different modalities will come out within the subsequent 7-10 days, a senior official mentioned on Tuesday.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) secretary V Raghunandan informed PTI that the spectrum reference given to the regulator spanned a number of bands and thereby concerned detailed and exhaustive deliberations.
“We’re within the closing phases, and can come out with the suggestions shortly in 7-10 days,” Raghunandan mentioned.
Trai’s views on spectrum pricing and different nuances are essential as it’s going to set the tempo for the auctions and subsequent rollout of the fifth-generation companies that may usher in ultra-high-speed and spawn new-age companies and enterprise fashions.
The telecom {industry} was anticipating the regulator’s suggestions to come back by March-end.
The telecom regulator, in November-end final 12 months, had launched an in depth session paper to debate threadbare the modalities for public sale of spectrum throughout a number of bands, together with pricing, quantum and different circumstances — getting ready the groundwork for upcoming 5G auctions.
Trai’s complete session paper runs into 207 pages and throws up 74 questions for industry-wide dialogue, referring to essential elements like valuation and reserve value of 5G spectrum, quantum of the spectrum, block measurement, eligibility circumstances for participation within the public sale, roll-out obligations, spectrum cap, and give up of the spectrum.
Norms can even be labored out for brand new frequencies similar to 526-698 MHz and millimetre band that’s 24.25 – 28.5 GHz, along with bands like 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, and 3300-3670 MHz.
The final spherical of spectrum auctions, held in March 2021, had raked-in profitable bids of over Rs 77,800 crore for 855.6 MHz of spectrum. However, practically 63 per cent of the full spectrum remained unsold.
Because the nation gears up for the mega public sale, the {industry} gamers have been making an aggressive pitch for decreasing spectrum pricing.
Telecom operator Bharti Airtel’s Chief Expertise Officer (CTO) Randeep Sekhon had not too long ago made an emphatic attraction for “inexpensive” pricing of 5G radiowaves, saying pricing “will play a vital function”.
“If operators are made to purchase very costly spectrum, naturally their money flows will probably be restricted, they must pay. But when it is extremely cheap, then it is extremely attainable that the operator will carry the identical cash on rising footprint quicker,” Sekhon had mentioned final week.



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