The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced that the much-anticipated auction will award a total of 72 GHz of spectrum in a wide variety of bands.
The department is now inviting applicants to apply. Interested parties will have until July 8 to submit their applications with the auction itself due to begin on July 26.
Spectrum licences will be available across the 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands. Licences will be valid for 20 years.
Controversially, the DoT has also left open the option of directly assigning some spectrum for 5G verticals, although details for this assignment have yet to be announced.
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents Indian mobile operators had previously argued against such proposals. It said last week that assigning spectrum for verticals would degrade the 5G business case for telcos.
