Gurgaon, Feb. 9 -- On Thursday, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval to the Department of Telecommunications' request to hold a spectrum auction. The winning bidders would receive spectrum, which they can use to provide telecom services. According to a statement from the government, more spectrum would enhance the coverage and quality of telecom services for customers.

Spectrum in the following frequency bands will be up for auction: 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz. Spectrum will be made available for allocation with a 20-year validity period. 10,523.15 MHz in total, valued at Rs 96,317.65 crore (reserve price), are up for grabs.

In order to enhance the ...