Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone India have all been testing 5G in India for some time. They were to be followed by a 5G launch later this year. However, telecom operators have allegedly asked the DoT for a one-year delay to conduct 5G trials in the country. Currently, the 5G testing authorization in India expires on November 26th. This would push 5G spectrum auctions into 2022 if the DoT granted the request.
In the sector, all three carriers want to prolong their trials by one year. Notably, Vodafone Idea launched 5G trials last month; Jio and Airtel started 5G trials in June. The Department of Telecom allocated 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz, and 26 GHz bands to 5G experiments this year. According to ET, telecom providers are prolonging the permit because 5G ecosystem partners are not ready.
Currently, India expects to undertake 5G spectrum auctions in the first quarter of 2022, but the extension would extend them to the second half. Delay in 5G spectrum auction means a delay in 5G rollout in India.
“Ecosystem partners are critical to trial success. And carriers are encountering numerous hurdles in terms of ecosystem readiness,” said another industry insider.
The DoT has also requested TRAI base price suggestions for 700MHz, 3.3-36GHz, and mmWave 5G bands. The base price for the 100MHz spectrum in the 3.3-3.6GHz band is likely to be Rs 50,000 crore. However, carriers claim the price is too high and have asked regulators to lower it.
