Delay in 5G spectrum auction will raise costs for telcos: Trai

KOLKATA: The telecom department’s delay in auctioning 5G spectrum in the 3300-3600 Mhz bands will jack up costs for phone companies planning to roll out 5G networks in India as they will have to make additional investments in such next-generation airwaves, the sector regulator said in a white paper on the ultra-fast wireless broadband technology.

“The 3.5 GHz band is likely to be the first to be used globally for 5G deployments, and since DoT is yet to auction spectrum in the 3300-3600 Mhz bands, telecom service providers in India are likely to initially incur an additional investment while launching 5G services on account of spectrum cost,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said in its 5G white paper Friday.