Lok Sabha Question No. 2399 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-15
Subject: Mobile Airwaves
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: P. Velusamy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2399 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 TH  MARCH, 2023

## MOBILE AIRWAVES

## 2399.   SHRI VELUSAMY P.:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the total amount collected from the sale of 72,000 MHz mobile airwaves under 600MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2300MHz, 3300MHz and 26GHz, category-wise;

- (b) whether TRAI has recommended for reduction in reserve price in certain bands;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether bidders can surrender their licence;
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the penalty amount to be recovered from the bidders; and

(f) whether spectrum usage charges will be recovered from the bidders and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) The total  bid  amount  of  Spectrum  Auction  2022  is  Rs.1,50,173.29  crores  for  51236.20  MHz spectrum out of 72097.85 MHz put to auction. The details are annexed as Annexure A . Out of the total bid amount, Rs 18008.26 crore was received as upfront/first instalment in Financial Year 2022-23.

(b) Yes.

(c) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in its recommendations dated 11.04.2022, had recommended the reserve prices for right to use of Spectrum in various Licensee Service Area (LSA)Band combinations for Spectrum Auction 2022 which were reduced by, upto 40%, when compared to that of Reserve Prices recommended by TRAI for Spectrum Auction 2021. For instance, the reduction of pan-India  total  reserve  prices  per  MHz  in  700  MHz  and  3300  MHz  bands  are  40.33%  and  35.83% respectively.

(d) Yes.

(e) Licensee may surrender the License or any service authorization under Unified License, by giving notice of at least 60 Calendar days in advance. The Licensee shall also be liable to pay the License Fee till  the  end  of  the  notice  period  and  more  specifically  till  the  date  on  which  the  surrender/revocation becomes effective.

(f) No Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) shall be charged for spectrum acquired in Spectrum Auction 2022.

## Annexure-A

Annexure referred to in part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2399 to be answered on 15.03.2023

| Band     |   Quantum put to Auction ( in MHz) |   Quantum of Spectrum Won by TSPs (in MHz) |   Total Bid Amount (in Rs. crore) |
|----------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 600 MHz  |                             660    |                                        0   |                               0   |
| 700 MHz  |                             550    |                                      220   |                           39270   |
| 800 MHz  |                             136.25 |                                       20   |                            1050   |
| 900 MHz  |                              74.4  |                                       12.8 |                             348.8 |
| 1800 MHz |                             267.2  |                                       88.4 |                           10376   |
| 2100 MHz |                             160    |                                       35   |                            3180   |
| 2300 MHz |                              60    |                                        0   |                               0   |
| 2500 MHz |                             230    |                                       20   |                             650   |
| 3300 MHz |                            7260    |                                     5490   |                           80590   |
| 26 GHz   |                           62700    |                                    45350   |                           14708.5 |
| Total    |                           72097.9  |                                    51236.2 |                          150173   |

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