Spectrum Auction

The apex court was hearing the case regarding the tussle between Aircel and the telecom department on the back of petitions filed by State Bank of India and the two insolvent telecom operators who had challenged a 2021 order of an appellate court.

Despite prior ministerial assurances that license-free access to this spectrum was a ‘necessity,’ the new blueprint leaves global tech giants like Google and Meta in limbo.

AGR relief, satellite broadband, and spectrum auctions will shape India’s telecom landscape in 2026.

Trai has proposed slashing charges on network spectrum used to connect mobile towers, arguing that telecom operators are overpaying for non-revenue infrastructure critical to 5G expansion. Here is why it matters.

Trai faces challenges regarding the upcoming spectrum auction, with Big Tech and telecom companies in disagreement over the use and pricing of radio spectrum. Key issues include when to auction the 6 GHz band, price reductions, and spectrum caps.

The discount would apply to the 5% annual spectrum charge that DoT plans to levy on satellite internet providers, payable from their AGR.

An upcoming Supreme Court decision is expected to provide clarity on whether telecom spectrum — a natural resource and thus Constitutionally recognised as belonging to the citizens of India — can be liquidated under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code for lenders to recover their dues.

This week we wrote about the talent war among top tech firms looking to hire the best chip-design talent, TCS’ struggles with artificial intelligence, the upcoming gaming ban, and more.

Aggressive bidding for spectrum has eased since 2021, with most of the airwaves sold near reserve prices. Trai suggests allowing entities like providers of internet services and connected data networks to bid for airwaves.