- The
5G spectrum auctions were expected to take place in June. - 5G spectrum auctions could reportedly be postponed again.
- The delay could be delayed by differing views of telecom operators and tech giants seeking a private network.
The highly anticipated 5G spectrum auctions expected to take place later this month may again be delayed. The commercial roll-out of
According to a report from BusinessLine, divergent views from telecom service providers and tech giants seeking a private network may have slowed down 5G spectrum auctions.
Telecoms minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had previously said the 5G spectrum auctions will begin in June.
The government had previously ruled out allocating 5G spectrum to private network providers. The companies have reportedly approached the government through industry associations.
The private companies have claimed that not participating in the auction will harm the process of digitization of the economy and negatively affect the competitiveness of Indian products in the global market.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has submitted its recommendations, which were approved by the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) on 17 May.
The cabinet has yet to approve TRAI’s proposals and it will take approximately 45 days from approval to start the auctions. Once the proposal is approved, an agency will be hired to conduct the auctions, the terms will be drawn up, the calls for applications will be sent and meetings will be held with stakeholders.
So even if the proposal is approved right away, it will not be possible to complete the auctions in June.
Broadband India Forum has approached the government
According to the report, the Broadband India Forum (BIF), which represents members such as Amazon, Facebook, Google, Qualcomm, Reliance and Adani, has approached the government with a request to “keep in mind the overall ambitions and interests in the area of digitization “.
“We have to think about the country, the consumer… it’s the benefit of the consumer, the efficiency of the business and finally the improvement of the economy. The (spectrum) is for internal use only to improve efficiency,” said TV Ramachandran, president of BIF.
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