Telcos seek base price cut as spectrum auction nears

ulatory officer of Bharti Airtel, stated in a submission to Trai. He said spectrum that remains unsold or underutilized due to inflated pricing is a "direct loss to the country," delaying network expansion and degrading service quality.

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By reducing costs, operators could redirect capital toward "network densification, faster 5G rollout, and wider rural coverage."

Spectrum represents a critical revenue stream for the government, which sets a base price and expects companies to bid higher. However, aggressive bidding has eased since 2021, with most of the airwaves sold near reserve prices-a shift driven by industry consolidation, high base prices, and the financial burden of recent 5G rollouts.

Reliance Jio, India's largest telco by market share, urged Trai to recommend a reserve price set at 50% of the spectrum valuation, arguing that the current valuation of 70% is "too steep and not conducive of wider participation." Jio contended that this aggressive pricing prevents genuine price discovery and competition, leading instead to sales at or near the reserve floor.