Telcos likely to show little interest in upcoming spectrum auction

The upcoming spectrum auction, which is likely to be conducted over the next three months, is likely to receive a cold response from telecom companies, Financial Express (FE) has reported. Compared to the last 5G spectrum auction, which fetched the government Rs 1.5 trillion, this auction is likely to add Rs 8,000-9,000 crore to the government’s kitty, officials in the know told the newspaper.

What is the reason behind the cold response from telcos?

The telcos already have ample spectrum with them. With little scope for 5G monetisation, telecom companies do not see the need to spend towards acquiring more spectrum.