Next round of spectrum auction gets cabinet nod: I&B minister Javadekar

The cabinet has also approved relief for sugarcane farmers

The Union Cabinet has approved the next round of spectrum auction, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Wednesday.

The minister said that the cabinet has approved relief for sugarcane farmers, improvement in electricity infrastructure in North Eastern states and the auction of spectrum. The Digital Communications Commission, the apex decision making body of the Department of Telecom, in May approved the spectrum auction plan subject to the cabinet approval.

The DoT is yet to come out with any notification for the next round of auction in which airwaves worth Rs 5.22 lakh crore are to be sold. According to Jio, spectrum worth Rs 3.92 lakh crore is lying unused with the DoT for auction.

The telecom ministry gets an average revenue share of 5 per cent as spectrum usage charge from telecom operators which is calculated based on their spectrum holding and 8 per cent as licence fee from the revenue earned by them from sale of communication services.