Next round of spectrum auctions to begin on September 29, 2016, says DoT

According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the next round of spectrum auctions will begin on September 29, 2016. A total of 2,354.55 MHz of spectrum across the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands will be put up for sale in the auction. Further, the government has fixed a spectrum usage charge (SUC) of 3 per cent for the spectrum acquired in the upcoming auction, while for the spectrum already held by operators, a weighted average formula has been fixed to determine the SUC, with a floor rate of 3 per cent. In a related development, DoT has suspended sharing, trading and liberalisation activities till the provisional results of the upcoming spectrum auction are declared. The move is reportedly aimed at ensuring that the auction attracts high interest from bidders.