5G ecosystem to be auction-ready by Aug 2019: Sundararajan

Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan on Monday said procedures for the auction of 5G spectrum are likely to be completed by August 2019.

She also said that the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) is working on the recommendations of both the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the 5G task force set up by the government.

"Everybody has already said that since the ecosystem is not ready, it will be (ready) somewhere only after July-August next year," she told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on the National Digital Communications Policy.

"We expect that we would have completed all the due procedures by then, so that you have the spectrum auction."

The government expects to roll out 5G connectivity in the country in 2020. However, segments of the industry have raised concerns over feasibility of the target as the sector is going through financial stress.

Speaking at the seminar, the DoT Secretary reiterated that 5G connectivity would have an economic impact of over $1 trillion.

--IANS

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