Inconsistency on spectrum

Telecom ministry needs to rethink its policy

The department of telecommunications (DoT) has set the ball rolling for the next round of spectrum auctions. It has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to suggest the reserve price for air waves in the various bands of spectrum. Subsequently, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said in an interview that the DoT had started the groundwork and the auction would be held when the time was suitable. One of the stated objectives of the next round of auctions is to kick-start 5G, or fifth generation, telecom services in the country. But the 5G ecosystem will take at least a