Airtel says 5G spectrums ‘unaffordable’, urges Govt to reduce base price

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel Friday said base price of spectrum recommended by the regulator are “exorbitant” and unaffordable, as it urged the government to review the price of radiowaves to set the stage for an aggressive 5G play.

“These prices are exorbitant given that the state of 5G ecosystem, is still nascent. So, we would hope that the Government brings down prices of spectrum and reserve prices of spectrum, and that is the stage we would look seriously at 5G,” the company’s MD and CEO, India and South Asia, Gopal Vittal said during an earnings call.

Vittal said the base prices recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) places the radiowaves in the ballpark range of Rs 50,000-55,000 crore for 100 MHz of spectrum.