Lok Sabha Question No. 751 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-20
Subject: Spectrum Auction
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: M. UDHAYAKUMAR, JAYADEV GALLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 751 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH      DECEMBER, 2017

## SPECTRUM AUCTION

751. ADV. M. UDHAYAKUMAR: SHRI JAYADEV GALLA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to auction 5G Spectrum in the bands over and above 3000 MHz and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons for delay, if any, in auctioning of the said spectrum;
- (b) the  amount of spectrum remaining in the bandwidth of 3400, 3500 and 3600 MHz along with the time by which the Government proposes to auction these remaining spectrum along with the spectrum remaining in bands such as 800, 2100, 2300 and 2500 MHz;
- (c) the difference between the quality of services under 5G and 4G technology; and
- (d) whether  the  5G  network  loses  its  intensity  over  longer  distance  thus  affecting  its wider  coverage  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  steps  proposed  to  be  taken  by  the Government to address this issue?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) & (b) The Government has already sought recommendations from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the applicable Reserve Price and related issues for auction of right  to  use  of spectrum above 3000 MHz (3300-3400 MHz and 3400-3600 MHz) besides frequency bands 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500  MHz.  The  availability  of  spectrum  in  these  bands,  as  conveyed  to  TRAI,  is  at Annexure-I. It also includes unsold spectrum in various frequency bands in the last auction held in October 2016. Recommendations from TRAI are awaited.

It  is  for  information  that  the  standardisation  work  in  respect  of  5G  technology  is  in progress  in  the  International  Telecom  Union  (ITU),  Geneva,  Switzerland  under  the  official name  of  IMT  (International  Mobile  Telecommunication)  2020.  The  standardisation  is expected to be completed around the year 2020 after which the frequency bands, already auctioned, can be utilised for deployment of 5G.

- (c) Any  new  generation  of  mobile  technology  is  always  super  to  earlier  generation. However,  at  this  point  of  time,  it  may  not  be  possible  to  compare  the  Quality  of  Service between 4G technology network which is fully developed and being deployed world over and 5G technology which is under development and yet to be standardized and commercially deployed.
- (d) The coverage of network depends on frequency bands not on technology. Therefore, it is not possible to indicate about coverage/intensity of 5G network in absence of spectrum band in which 5G would be deployed.

Available spectrum in various bands

| S. No.   | Name of LSA          | FDD Bands   | FDD Bands   | FDD Bands   | FDD Bands   | FDD Bands   | TDD Bands   | TDD Bands   | No Band Plan   | No Band Plan   |
|----------|----------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|----------------|----------------|
| S. No.   | Name of LSA          | 700 MHz     | 800 MHz     | 900 MHz     | 1800 MHz    | 2100 MHz    | 2300 MHz    | 2500 MHz    | 3300 MHz       | 3400 MHz       |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh       | 35.00       | 7.50        |             | 2.00        | 20.00       |             | 30.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 2        | Assam                | 35.00       |             |             | 3.00        | 15.00       |             |             | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 3        | Bihar                | 35.00       | 2.50        | 4.60        | 0.40        | 10.00       |             | 10.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 4        | Delhi                | 35.00       | 2.50        |             | 10.80       | 15.00       |             | 20.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 5        | Gujarat              | 35.00       | 1.25        | 3.00        | 1.60        | 15.00       |             | 10.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 6        | Haryana              | 35.00       | 1.25        |             |             | 10.00       |             |             | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 7        | Himachal Pradesh     | 35.00       | 3.75        |             | 5.80        | 20.00       |             | 10.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 8        | Jammu & Kashmir      | 35.00       |             |             | 9.60        | 10.00       |             | 10.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 9        | Karnataka            | 35.00       | 2.50        |             | 4.20        | 15.00       |             | 40.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 10       | Kerala               | 35.00       | 2.50        |             | 1.40        | 10.00       |             | 0.00        | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 11       | Kolkata              | 35.00       | 2.50        |             |             | 15.00       |             | 20.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 12       | Madhya Pradesh       | 35.00       | 2.50        |             |             | 15.00       |             |             | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 13       | Maharashtra          | 35.00       | 7.50        |             | 1.40        | 10.00       |             | 10.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 14       | Mumbai               | 35.00       | 5.00        |             |             | 15.00       |             | 20.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 15       | North East           | 35.00       |             |             |             | 15.00       |             |             | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 16       | Odisha               | 35.00       | 3.75        |             | 1.40        | 15.00       |             |             | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 17       | Punjab               | 35.00       | 2.50        |             | 4.40        | 10.00       |             | 10.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 18       | Rajasthan            | 35.00       | 2.50        |             |             |             |             |             | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 19       | Tamil Nadu           | 35.00       | 2.50        | 6.20        |             | 5.00        |             | 40.00       | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 20       | Uttar Pradesh (East) | 35.00       | 2.50        | 0.60        |             | 5.00        |             |             | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 21       | Uttar Pradesh (West) | 35.00       | 2.50        | 1.20        |             | 15.00       |             |             | 100.00         | 175.00         |
| 22       | West Bengal          | 35.00       | 1.25        |             | 0.80        | 15.00       |             |             | 100.00         | 175.00         |
|          | Total                | 770.00      | 58.75       | 15.60       | 46.80       | 275.00      |             | 230.00      | 2200.00        | 3850.00        |

FDD: Frequency Division Duplex; TDD: Time Division Duplex

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Annexure-I