Disconnect: Major fight brewing between telecom operators and technology firms over spectrum band

A major fight is brewing between telecom operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio on one side and technology players Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, etc, on the other, over a spectrum band that has the potential to provide high-speed broadband services, especially in remote areas and for better in-building coverage.

The issue that has divided the two sides is whether spectrum in the band concerned should be delicensed or should be allocated through auctions, as is the case for access services spectrum.