Yesterday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) proposed allocating an additional 5 MHz spectrum in the 700 MHz band to Indian Railways, intended for safety and security applications. Currently, this band is partially utilized by Reliance Jio (RJIO) for standalone 5G services. The history of the 700 MHz band in India has been marked by controversies since its valuation in 2012, when TRAI set its price at four times the value of the 1800 MHz band. This valuation, made prematurely, disregarded the lack of global adoption and an established band plan—essential prerequisites for effective spectrum utilization. Moreover, TRAI’s methodology involved substantial calculation errors, driving prices to unrealistic levels. These missteps were detailed in my earlier articles, notably on April 19, 2016, and February 9, 2024.
In 2016, TRAI compounded the issue by revisiting its 2012 recommendations without conducting a fresh, ground-up valuation, leaving the 700 MHz band unsold in multiple auctions. It was only in 2022 that RJIO acquired 10 MHz of this spectrum. Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel, despite extolling the benefits of the 700 MHz band in its 2021–22 annual report, chose not to purchase it during the same auction when 30 MHz was on offer. Airtel later publicly stated that its 5G network could operate reliably without this band.
