5G Price In India Cost Similar To 4G: IT Minister

In a recent interview with PTI (Press Trust of India), IT Minister of India Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the 5G data prices will be a lot lower than the global average price. The report notes that India’s internet data prices are at about $2 (around ₹156), while the global average rate is $25 (around ₹1,950). The minister hinted that the 5G data prices in India will be similar to the current 4G data charges.  

The 5G spectrum auction was previously scheduled for early June 2022, but due to a couple of reasons, it got delayed by a month. The Indian Government has now announced that the mega auction will take place by the end of July 2022. A total of 72097.85 MHz of 5G spectrum is supposed to be auctioned. Winning bidders will hold the rights for the spectrum for a period of 20 years. Rumours suggest that Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are touted to be the frontrunners for the 5G spectrum, while Vodafone Idea may sit it out.

The auction will be conducted for the spectrum in Low (600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz), Mid (3300 MHz), and High (26 GHz) frequency bands. The union minister expects the telecom operators to utilise the mid and high-frequency bands to roll out 5G services in the country. 

Furthermore, the IT Minister has confirmed the 5G rollout to begin by August or September in India. He says, 20 to 25 cities in India will be provided 5G connectivity by the end of 2022. However, only 13 cities namely, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Jamnagar, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Kolkata will be getting 5G services in the first phase.