DoT to Seek Validation on the Idea of Allocating Backhaul Spectrum Without Auction

According to a tip communicated by a highly placed official in the ministry of telecommunications, the government is going to skip the auction way for allocation of backhaul spectrum in the E and V bands. The above-mentioned source said, “The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to go by the recommendations issued by sector watchdog, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and there are no global instances where such (backhaul) spectrum is put on sale.” In August 2014, the Indian telecom regulator had remarked that in the developed countries the airwaves in the E and V spectrum were not allocated by way of auction since these airwaves were used for backhaul instead of carrying access signals for customers. On the same issue, the department is also seeking views from the attorney general of India on whether the backhaul spectrum could be auctioned or allocated administratively.

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It is noteworthy that the main aim of using the backhaul spectrum is to improve the voice and data quality of 2G, 3G and 4G networks. It also helps in enhancing signal carrying capacity along with reducing call drops between two towers.

To give you more insight, it’s vital to note that the E band airwaves fall between 71 and 76 GHz and 81-86 GHz while the V band between 57 and 64 GHz. According to the top telcos of the country like Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India, this backhaul spectrum should not be put up for sale.