New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications<\/a> (DoT<\/a>) is planning to seek nod from the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) on incorporating new or unused spectrum bands<\/a> in the upcoming auction of airwaves for mobile services<\/a>, officials aware of the development told ET.
DoT wants to get approval regarding spectrum in the 3,700-4,200 MHz band, also known as the mid-band, 1,427-1,518 MHz band, and some frequencies in the 470-582 MHz band, they said.
“The mid-band is ideal for 5G services and in the last sale, the spectrum in the 3,300 MHz was bought by all the three telcos,” a DoT official said on condition of anonymity.
Currently, spectrum in 3,700-4,200 MHz is being used by the Department of Space (DoS) and ministries of broadcasting, defence, and civil aviation, among others. Hence, “we have to discuss the matter with the CoS and how much quantum can be freed for auction”, the official said.
New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications<\/a> (DoT<\/a>) is planning to seek nod from the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) on incorporating new or unused spectrum bands<\/a> in the upcoming auction of airwaves for mobile services<\/a>, officials aware of the development told ET.
DoT wants to get approval regarding spectrum in the 3,700-4,200 MHz band, also known as the mid-band, 1,427-1,518 MHz band, and some frequencies in the 470-582 MHz band, they said.
“The mid-band is ideal for 5G services and in the last sale, the spectrum in the 3,300 MHz was bought by all the three telcos,” a DoT official said on condition of anonymity.
Currently, spectrum in 3,700-4,200 MHz is being used by the Department of Space (DoS) and ministries of broadcasting, defence, and civil aviation, among others. Hence, “we have to discuss the matter with the CoS and how much quantum can be freed for auction”, the official said.
Only after getting a nod from CoS will DoT ask Telecom Regulatory Authority of India<\/a> (Trai<\/a>) for recommendations on pricing and other modalities, the official said.
In case CoS decides that spectrum can’t be freed immediately in these bands, the frequencies won’t be put up for sale.
Another official said DoT plans to auction frequencies in the millimetre wave band like 27.5-29.5 GHz and 37-40 GHz, and the CoS may be told about it.
Headed by the cabinet secretary, the Committee of Secretaries is an institutional arrangement wherein any matter that requires a wider deliberation is discussed among various secretaries of the central government to help take a decision.
DoT’s move to seek CoS nod for auctioning spectrum in certain bands comes amid opposition from certain quarters regarding proposed auction of new bands including the 37 GHz and 3700-4200 MHz. The department is considering a mixed use (mobile and satellite) for the 37 GHz band.
“As per deliberations already concluded, DoS and DoT have agreed to make available the frequency bands from 37-37.5 GHz for IMT or mobile services while 37.5-40 GHz and 42.5-43.5 GHz will be for mobile services and satellite gateway links,” the official said.
Apart from that, the spectrum expiring during 2024 will also be put to auction along with unsold airwaves from last year’s sale.
DoT is planning to put airwaves in 11 bands ranging from 600 MHz to above 37 GHz in the sale.
However, the auction is unlikely to see much of a bidding intensity, with only two buyers – Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel – effectively in the fray as Vodafone Idea (Vi) is struggling to survive amid a cashflow turmoil.
Airtel and Vi have permits expiring in 2024 in some circles such as West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Odisha, which could see some fight. For example, in the 2022 sale, the winning price of UP (East) soared almost 80% over its base price as Airtel – whose permits expire in 2024 in India’s most populous circle – fought with Jio to protect its business.
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