Trai rebuffs DoT, says will give pricing recos only for 37 GHz band, not others
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has told the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to refer to its last year’s recommendations on spectrum auction for bands ranging from 600 MHz to 26 GHz for reserve price and other modalities and it will be only giving fresh recommendations for 37 GHz band, which is a new band to be put on sale for the first time.
The regulator further said DoT may put to auction the spectrum in the existing bands ranging from 600 MHz to 26 GHZ without waiting for the authority’s recommendations for the new bands.
The DoT on August 2 had asked the regulator to furnish recommendations on reserve price, band plan, block size, quantum of spectrum to be auctioned and other conditions for sale of airwaves in bands ranging from 600 MHz to 26 GHz. Frequencies in 37 GHz band, ranging from 37-37.5 GHz, 37.5-40 GHz and 42.5-43.5 GHz bands were added for the upcoming sale.
Based on last year’s reserve price, the airwaves of existing bands are worth over Rs 2.5 lakh crore.
Trai has highlighted that in its recommendations dated April 11, 2022, it had factored in the fact that auctions would be conducted on annual basis.
Based on that, it was recommended that for existing bands, a fresh spectrum valuation exercise be conducted once every three years.
For new spectrum bands, to be put to auction for the first time, a reference be sent to the Authority as and when these bands are proposed to be put to auction. But DoT did not agree to Trai and reiterated that recommendations be sent every year.
