No license/entry fee for enterprises seeking 5G spectrum for captive networks: DoT

India has formally set the ball rolling for building captive private 5G networks by issuing rules which said enterprises seeking spectrum directly from the telecom department would be given a renewable licence for 10 years against a non-refundable application charge of Rs 50,000. Such companies won’t need to pay any entry or licence fee.

According to the guidelines for setting up captive non-public networks (CNPN) released by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) late Monday, entities that apply for spectrum need to have a minimum net worth of Rs 100 crore. The applicant must be registered under the Companies Act and an “occupant of the geographical area/property on which it intends to establish the CNPN”. A private captive 5G network runs on mobile broadband technology and is set up by a private entity for the use of just one organisation. It is similar to a captive coal mine.