Vodafone Idea not in favour of 5G spectrum auction before 2020: CTO

New Delhi: India’s largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd said on Wednesday that 5G spectrum auction should not be held before 2020 to allow for more time to evolve India-specific use cases and added that its current holding of radiowaves helps it to offer many 5G-like services.

The operator – which holds 35.6 per cent of the total wireless subscriber market share as per latest TRAI data – also said it will comply with the decision of the Indian government on the issue of use of communications equipment of Chinese vendors, such as Huawei.

“In Indian context, government has not taken a position unlike some other countries….Australia, New Zealand, and the US have taken a clear position…Of course, we will follow whatever the Indian government decides and we will work with the government to ensure that India’s strategic needs and security are fully looked after,” Vodafone Idea Chief Technology Officer Vishant Vora told reporters here.