India is all set to host its first ever auction of 5G spectrum in July. The government is putting 72GHz of 5G frequencies for sale and it could yield Rs 4.5 lakh crore at base prices. As per the government representatives, the auction of spectrum is going to happen for 20 years across nine bands ranging from 600 MHz to 26 GHz at prices recommended by the telecom regulator. The government with the advice from TRAI had tried a pricing model from 2018 but this time the price looks to be 40% less though the telcos have been asking for a 90% reduction from 2018.
The cabinet has also allowed enterprises to directly obtain spectrum from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for setting up private captive 5G networks. This is of course will help Industry in expanding its digital strategy with strong integration of cloud, AI ML and IOT, etc.
Ramesh Natarajan, Chief Executive Officer, Redington India Ltd., said: “The Government of India’s decision to commence 5G spectrum auction from July will set in motion a new phase of growth, innovation and transformation of businesses across various industry sectors. It will unleash new use-cases for enterprises, telecom as well as the end consumers, strengthen last mile connectivity and fuel the economic progress of India. 5G is going to boost the demand for the right infrastructure and expertise to support its deployment, implementation and application. We, at Redington India, are well positioned to cater to these demands and requirements through our strong capabilities in distribution, supply chain and technology solution.”
