TRAI suggests capping spectrum charge per carrier in microwave bands at 0.1% of AGR

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday recommended that the spectrum charge per carrier in traditional microwave backhaul bands be capped at 0.1% of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) in a bid to reduce backhaul costs for telcos.

Backhaul spectrum carries voice and data between mobile towers and the core network of a service provider.

This compares to the existing policy regime for the assignment of backhaul spectrum, in which the charge for the first carrier is capped at 0.15% of the AGR, followed by progressively higher costs for subsequent carriers.