TRAI recommends cut in mobile spectrum auction floor price

Telecommunications regulator TRAI recommended a sharp cut in the floor price of mobile phone airwaves for an upcoming auction, a boon to carriers such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Group local unit.

The regulator recommended on Monday a pan-India reserve price of Rs 1496 crore per MHz in the 1800 band. In the 900 MHz band, it recommended a reserve price of Rs 288 crore  per MHz for Delhi,Rs  262 crore for Mumbai and 1 billion for Kolkata.

The government is under pressure to lower auction reserve prices of mobile phone airwaves in different frequency bands after most carriers stayed away from bidding in the last two auctions, saying the prices were high.