The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended 37-40 GHz bands for its upcoming 5G auction. The millimeter wave also called mmWave is being earmarked for a lower price than seen in the previous auctions.
TRAI has recommended frequencies in the 37-37.5 GHz and 37.5-40 GHz ranges. It has a block size of 100 MHz per telecom circle. TRAI will auction the radio waves with a validity period of 20 years.
The authority also recommended a cap of 40% of the total spectrum. In its statement, TRAI stated that “it should not be clubbed with 26 GHz band for the purpose of spectrum cap.”
TRAI also recommends that ISPs and M2M services get permission to bid for the resources in the auction.
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5G auction 2025 in India price
For the 5G auction, TRAI set the reserve price of INR 59.8 million (over $686,000) for the 37-40 GHz band frequency. As stated, the price is relatively cheaper from the earlier auction. To be more exact, it’s 14% cheaper compared to the 26 GHz spectrum placed for auction back in 2022. However, Indian telecom operators refused to take those spectrums and instead preferred to renew their existing resources.
Service providers also blamed the lack of a device ecosystem for not taking the 26 GHz spectrum. However, they believe that this time, there should be no such issue in 2025. This is largely because more 5G devices are now operating in India.
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Following the TRAI recommendation for 5G auction 2025 in India, it will go up to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to publish a schedule for the next auction.