Price stalemate expected to prolong India’s wait for 5G

New Delhi: India’s wait for 5G may get longer with the telecom regulator declining to review spectrum prices that the country’s debt-laden telcos have termed too costly to buy.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) last August set a base price of ₹492 crore (around $70 million) per megahertz for the 3,300-3,600 MHz band, expected to be the primary band for 5G services. The regulator this week declined a government request to review the prices, potentially leading to an auction failure.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the industry body that represents telecom operators, said that all telcos, including new entrant Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, are unanimous that these prices are too high.