Decks cleared for 5G auction but will you enjoy the benefits anytime soon?

Business Standard Decks cleared for 5G auction but will you enjoy the benefits anytime soon?

Ready to enjoy blazing-fast speeds with 5G? Looking forward to enjoying entertainment options, such as immersive video and wireless holograms, which were hard to come by in the past? Well, there is good news for you, at least depending upon which city you live in. We are one step closer in our tryst with new high-speed services.

The decks have reportedly been cleared for the Department of Telecommunications, or DoT, to auction the 5G spectrum. In fact, India might see 5G services being showcased on 15th August.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, or TRAI, has left it to the DoT to take a decision on three crucial issues.

The first is the validity period of spectrum assignment. The second is the deferment of auction in the 27.5 GHz-28.5 GHz band. And, the third is the quantum of spectrum that will be reserved for BSNL and MTNL. As a result, the whole process has become simple. Going ahead, the Digital Communications Commission, or DCC, will clear the 5G spectrum auction.

Subsequently, it will have to be cleared in the Union Cabinet. Finally, the DoT could begin the auction process in June. On their part, the telcos have said that if everything goes well, limited 5G services roll out might be seen by the end of this year.

Telcos had demanded a 90 per cent reduction in the 3.5 GHz spectrum base price, compared to the regulator's recommendation in 2019. But this demand has not been met. However, at 317 crore rupees for a pan-India 1 MHz of spectrum, the base price has been reduced by 36 per cent for a validity of 20 years.

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