Trai seeks views on allotting 700 Mhz to railways; DoT says will cost govt over Rs 1 lakh crore

KOLKATA: The telecom regulator has sought stakeholder views on the pros and cons of allotting a chunk of valuable spectrum in the 700 Mhz band for free to the railways for passenger safety and security applications. The government though believes such a move could potentially rob the central exchequer of an over Rs 1 lakh-crore revenue opportunity as it braces to auction these premium airwaves later this year for 4G and 5G services.

The railways has urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to reserve a total 15 units of 700 Mhz spectrum, and initially allot 10 units free of cost, on grounds that such 4G-LTE airwaves are required for passenger security and safety in public interest.