Rakesh Mittal says government needs to consider reducing spectrum base price
Trai had last year recommended base price for various spectrum bandsAs 5G services require high frequency spectrum, the need for telecom towers is expected to rise significantly
New Delhi: The government needs to consider reducing the base price of spectrum for upcoming auction as the regulator's suggested price is higher than global standard, Bharti Enterprises vice-chairman Rakesh Mittal said at the India Mobile Congress on Monday.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had last year recommended base price for various spectrum bands, including ₹492 crore per MHz for 3,300-3,600 MHz band, which is suitable for 5G services.
Mittal also said the Centre needs to push states for better implementation of Right of Way policy now to facilitate the reach of 5G mobile services.
As 5G services require high frequency spectrum, which has low propagation characteristics, the need for telecom towers is expected to rise significantly and with it the need to connect them with fibre.
The three-day India Mobile Congress, which is the country’s attempt to showcase it as a vibrant telecom market and woo investors, started Monday.
This year, unlike the previous two editions, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani and Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal are not attending the event.
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