Spectrum auction likely in May-June: Telecom Secretary

Government is likely to conduct next round of spectrum auction around May-June period this year, a top official said on Friday. "We will put all available spectrum for auction in which ecosystem is available that industry is demanding. The auctions will be held sometime in May-June," Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg said at FICCI-WBA Vision Forum.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has put out a consultation paper on a reference made by the government to suggest the base or floor price for all available airwaves for mobile services. The government had pegged revenue from communication services for the current fiscal at Rs 42,865 crore, which include upfront realisation from spectrum sale and licence fee. According to an official source, the government will be able to meet the Budget target even without the auction.