NEW DELHI: Digital Communications Commission<\/a> (DCC<\/a>), the highest decision-making body in the DoT<\/a>, is likely to take a call on the pricing of airwaves within the next three to four weeks, once the department's standing committee sends its analysis of the Trai's recommendations.
“We are analysing Trai’s recommendations and within a week, the standing committee should start deliberating upon it,” a senior government official told ET.
Some officials in the DoT acknowledged that the proposed recommendations, while correct in spirit, didn't meet the industry expectations. The industry had sought as much as a 95% reduction in the price of the 5G<\/a> spectrum.
\"However, any further cut in the reserve prices will be a final cabinet<\/a> decision and we expect this to go to the cabinet in the next 4-5 weeks,\" another official told ET.
The official said the timelines were on track and the 5G auctions<\/a> are likely to be held in May-June so that the initial 5G services in the country can be started on the Independence Day.
The telecom regulator on Monday recommended slashing the base price of premium 3.3-3.67 GHz airwaves by nearly 36% and rate of the coveted 700 MHz spectrum by 40% in a bid to spur India’s mobile phone companies to bid aggressively in the upcoming 5G airwaves sale.
In its 436-page recommendations on Monday, the regulator cut the base rate of 3.3-3.67 GHz airwaves—popularly known as mid-band 5G spectrum—to Rs 317 crore a unit, from Rs 492 crore a unit. It also reduced the price of the 700 MHz band to Rs 3,927 crore in the hope of attracting bids, after telcos gave this bandwidth a pass for two successive sales, citing high prices.
<\/p>
![\"Jio,](\"\/\/www.iser-br.com\/Themes\/Release\/images\/responsive\/ettelecom-default.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>