High prices of spectrum will put increased financial pressure on operators, says GSMA

Tom Phillips, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA, believes that high prices of spectrum will put increased financial pressure on operators, which ultimately will have a negative impact on consumers.

"The Indian Government raised a record amount from the spectrum auction – almost US $18 billion. This outcome reflects the commitment of national mobile operators to invest in India, but it was also the result of pressure on operators to retain existing holdings to ensure service continuity for their customers," said Tom Phillips.

With the auction now concluded, the GSMA looks to the Indian Government to enable a business and regulatory environment built around trust and certainty, which will facilitate fresh investment by mobile operators to expand mobile broadband services throughout the country.