Telcos get six-month 5G trial extension, spectrum auction may get delayed

According to industry estimates, nearly 1,660 cities globally have some sort of 5G

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has extended the validity of the 5G trials licence to Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel for another six months.

Conceding to the telcos’ requests for more time to test their 5G networks, the licence, which was to expire in end November, has now been extended till the end of May, 2022.

The move, together with various contentious issues on spectrum and auctions raised by telcos and lack of clarity on the base price of the 5G spectrum, is expected to further delay the auction, which was slated for the March quarter next year.