India initiates the world’s most complicated spectrum auction. A regular column on the information industries
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/DPRG-08-2022-189 |
| Published date | 09 November 2022 |
| Date | 09 November 2022 |
| Pages | 479-481 |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information policy |
| Author | Peter Curwen |
Rearview
India initiates the world’s most complicated
spectrum auction
A regular column on the information industries
Peter Curwen
In August 2018, the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI) recommended that,
subject to certain modest caveats,all
of the available unsold andexpiring
spectrum in the 700 MHz, 800 MHz,
900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2.1 GHz,
2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.3–3.6 GHz
bands should be sold via auction. The
TRAI proposed that the 3.3–3.6GHz
band –set aside for 5G services –
should be divided into 20 MHz
unpaired blocks with a cap of five
blocks per bidder but without the
imposition of roll-out obligations.
However, there should be an
embargo on secondary sales for a
period of five years. Needless to say,
constant squabbling among the
operators –for example, RelianceJio
wanted to proceed immediately,
whereas Vodafone Idea wanted a
delay to bolster its finances and Bharti
Airtel wanted the 4G but notthe 5G
spectrum to be auctioned –led to a
proposed delay until 2019H2.
Progress was again held up when, in
April 2019, the Department of Space
and the Indian Space Research
Organisation refused to vacatetheir
controlled spectrum in the3.5 and
28 GHz bands proposed for 5G
services.
In June, the government announced
that there would be an auction for more
than 8200 MHz of spectrum before the
year-end, comprising spectrum in the
700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1800 MHz,
2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands. The need
to revive state-owned operators BSNL
and MTNL would be factored into the
proceedings. The auction was
pencilled in for April 2020 but the
widespread view was that exorbitant
reserve prices and a lack of suitable
spectrum for 5G would put off the
bidders that were short of cash –that
is, the majority.
In May 2020, further disquiet was
expressed about the proposed reserve
price of $65m per megahertz in the
3.5 GHz band and therewas general
agreement that this band would need
to be excluded from any auction that
might take place during 2020.
It was noted that there was still no
official news concerning the
availability of the 26GHz band and
that the Department of
Telecommunications had yet to
request recommendationson pricing
from the TRAI. Reliance Jiohad
requested that it be allowed to
conduct trials using an 800 MHz
channel in the band (as well as a
100 MHz channelin the 3.5 GHz
band) for its proposed new home-
grown network. However, until it was
finally clear whether Huawei or ZTE
would be permitted to participate in
5G network construction, which
seemed unlikely given recent
antipathy by the government towards
Peter Curwen is an Independent
Scholar based in Leeds, UK.
DOI 10.1108/DPRG-08-2022-189 VOL. 24 NO. 5 2022, pp. 479-481, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2398-5038 jDIGITAL POLICY, REGULATION AND GOVERNANCE jPAGE 479
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