5G spectrum auctions are likely to take place in February 2022, and the government could even try the January timeline, Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.
The government has approved a package to help the telecommunications sector, including a four-year suspension of charging for airwaves to the government. The suspended payment cycle will start from October 1.
Vaishnaw said the government is changing the controversial definition of adjusted revenue (AGR) to calculate telephone revenue only.
To date, India has held that even non-mobile corporate revenue was part of the AGR, which led to a long legal battle that resulted in a $ 13 billion wireless carrier debt.
Vaishnaw said the mobile switch package removed by Cabinet was enough for the survival of existing players, adding that with more changes, and more structural changes, on the way, more players should come, reports PTI.
Asked about the 5G duration of the auction, the minister said it would be held in the last quarter of the money. “About February 2022 I think it’s January again, we can try,” Vaishnaw said.
All telephone changes will be prioritized, which means that Indian carriers will still have to pay the remaining AGR payments to the government.
These measures also include a four-year postponement on payment of AGR payments that will help Vodafone Idea to have more time to pay for these items.
Meanwhile, Airtel and Jio have begun testing 5G networks using the experimental spectrum allocated to DoT in the city’s major cities.
Earlier this month, Airtel announced that it had successfully conducted India’s first cloud cloud session in the 5G space. Airtel has partnered with Nokia and Nokia for these tests.
Airtel also leads O-RAN Alliance plans in India to build 5G solutions. Airtel has successfully showcased 5G services through a 4G live network in Hyderabad, marking the industry first.
Jio started 5G trials in Mumbai using his native equipment. The giant is said to be in talks with Nokia, Samsung and Nokia for a trial in other cities.
The full impact of the 5G experience, however, will be available to Airtel customers, where sufficient spectrum is available and approved by the government.
Jio has worked with both and mid-wave teams in Mumbai for 5G field trials, as per a report.
The probationary period, meanwhile, is for a period of 6 months, which includes a period of 2 months of purchase and setup of equipment.
However, according to reports, the 5G network could take more than a year to become widely available to all users. Users will not be required to change SIM cards if a network is available for them.
