Govt to reform spectrum pricing, auction to be held within this fiscal

New Delhi: The Indian government is undertaking a reform of pricing of spectrum, said telecom and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad at the India Mobile Congress Monday, addressing concerns of the telecom industry which has often termed the prices exorbitant and unsustainable.

The minister, who also handles the portfolios of law and justice, added that the next spectrum auctions will be held within this financial year.

“We are alive to the sector’s concerns. We are working on it…We’re putting in place a process for reforming the pricing (of spectrum),” Prasad said. The statement came in response to carriers including Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, who at the conference raised issue sof high reserve prices of spectrum, including 5G, which will be auctioned for the first time in India.