5G trials to start in current fiscal: Official

NEW DELHI: The much-delayed trials for 5G services are expected to start in the fourth quarter of the current fiscal year, but the next auction of airwaves could be delayed to the next financial year.

Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters that the auction would likely be held in March-April. The Digital Communications Commission would soon be meeting to consider the telecom regulator’s recommendations on pricing and the of quantum of spectrum to be auctioned, he said.

A senior official said the commission would likely meet on December 20.

The official, who asked not to be named, said the telecom department was reviewing the applications submitted by telecom carriers and technology vendors on 5G trials, and that it hadn’t taken a call on whether to allow China’s Huawei to participate in the process.