To establish India as 5G leader, price of 5G spectrum needs to be critically looked at: Jio

Reliance Jio on Monday said that the Government needs to set a clear roadmap for timely availability of spectrum and asserted that prices of 5G radio waves need to be "critically looked at". "Government would need to have a clear roadmap for timely availability of spectrum. The long delays between the spectrum auctions should end.

"Moreover, spectrum should be made continuously available to the industry between the two auctions at the price determined during the last auction," Reliance Jio Infocomm board member Mahendra Nahata said at the India Mobile Congress 2019. To establish India as leader in 5G, price of 5G spectrum needs to be critically looked at, he said adding that higher prices will impact 5G adversely.

The government also needs to take a holistic look at the telecommunication sector as a whole, he said. He added that not only service providers but also app developers, application service providers, network equipment manufacturers and handset makers need to be promoted through appropriate policy measures.