The other side of 5G sale: High base price, less spectrum a worry

The first of a three-part series looks at the inadequacy of spectrum to be auctioned for telecom operators as various govt departments are claiming a share in the pie

The government’s ambitious target to mop up $70 billion from telecom operators in the high-speed, fifth-generation 5G spectrum auction slated for later this year could be upset not only by the steep base prices recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). An even more contentious issue is the fact that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) might not even have enough spectrum on offer. Telcos need a minimum of 100 MHz each to efficiently power a 5G network.

There is now a host of new claimants for the 5G spectrum bands, including the departments of space, defence and the