The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is reportedly planning to conduct another round of 5G spectrum auctions worth about Rs 2.5 trillion at base price in January-February 2024. As per sources, the auction could see the introduction of spectrum above 37 GHz bands, also known as the millimetre wave (mmWave) band. Airwaves in 11 bands ranging from 600 MHz to above 37 GHz are likely to be put up for sale.
As per the government, around 88,000 MHz spectrum is available in above 37 GHz bands. Apart from this, all the unsold spectrum in the last auction will be again put up for sale. Bandwidth that is expiring in 2024 will also be auctioned. The DoT is currently finalising the spectrum availability and will soon send the reference to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), seeking recommendations for pricing and other modalities.
According to experts, the auction is unlikely to see high bidding intensity overall, with only two buyers, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, effectively in the fray.
