DoT invites TRAI's advice on the pricing of E and V band auctions

The DoT has chosen to give telecom operators a temporary allocation of the E-band for backhaul purposes, particularly to support the rollout of 5G services.

The Department of Telecommunications(DoT) has begun the process to auction the backhaul spectrum following the 5G spectrum auction's success. The DoT has invited the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to make advice in connection to the auction of the backhaul-related E-band and V-band spectrum. TRAI has been consulted by the DoT regarding pricing and various other procedures for auctioning E and V band, according to officials.

It recently forwarded TRAI a reference regarding this. Given that telecom companies have previously received administratively assigned backhaul spectrum, this is a significant decision. The DoT has urged to TRAI that a specific quantum in the V band be unlicensed, or allocated without auctions, for indoor coverage, even though it wants to auction the bands for backhaul and mobile services.

According to the authorities, the DoT has emphasized that any unlicensed spectrum can only be used for indoor coverage, and that businesses must purchase the spectrum through an auction in order to utilise it for backhaul and outside mobility services.

High-speed broadband services might be offered using the spectrum in the E(71 to76 GHz and 81 to 86 GHz) and V (57 to 64 GHz and 64 to 71 GHz) bands, notably in rural regions and for greater coverage within buildings.

The DoT has chosen to give telecom operators a temporary allocation of the E-band for backhaul purposes, particularly to support the rollout of 5G services. However, telcos will be required to make a commitment that they will purchase this band at the determined market price as and when the auction for it is held.

The fight between telecom and technology companies has been going on nonstop regarding the decision on the allotment of the E and V bands of spectrum.

Broadband India Forum (BIF), that includes Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Cisco, among others as members, sought unlicensing of thses bands, whereas Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) representing three crucial telecom companies; Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, sought auction of spectrum of both these bands.

Although until recently BIF insisted on unlicensing both E-band and V-band since the association has changed its position to solely want V band unlicensed.

The DoT had been considering how to put the principles of the Supreme Court's 2012 ruling on the widespread sale of spectrum into practice for almost ten years, but in the interim, it had been provisionally allocating backhaul spectrum to operators.

As a result of the backhaul spectrum auction, some operators will have to repurchase the spectrum that had been provisionally allotted to them in addition to purchasing future backhaul spectrum through auctions.