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Spectrum price reform in the works: Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Telecom operators, battling financial stress, have for long voiced their protest against high base price of 5G spectrum

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla,Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Bharti Enterprises, India Mobile Congress 2019
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IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and Rakesh Bharti Mittal, vice-chairman, Bharti Enterprises, at the inaugural session of India Mobile Congress 2019 in New Delhi. Photo: Sanjay K Sharma

Megha Manchanda New Delhi
Inaugurating the annual India Mobile Congress on Monday, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Centre was considering “pricing reforms in the sector”, possibly hinting at making the upcoming spectrum auction, especially in the 5G band, more attractive to the industry. Telecom operators, battling financial stress, have for long voiced their protest against the high base price of 5G spectrum. Most telcos are planning not to bid for 5G unless the government reviews the price.

The three-day telecom summit, which got off to a slow start, was marked by the absence of industry majors including Bharti’s Sunil Mittal and Reliance’s Mukesh