Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said that the government was working on to review the pricing of reserve prices for 5G spectrum for upcoming auctions.

The Minister also assured that the auctions will happen 'within this financial year'.

"Spectrum auctions will happen within this financial year and we are also working on the pricing of spectrum. We are in the process of reforms for spectrum pricing, so wait for sometime," he said urging the telcos to wait for a few days for the clarity.

Speaking at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2019, Prasad said that the government was aware and alive to some problems and challenges being faced by the industry.

His statement came amid widespread concerns over exorbitant pricing of radio waves including 5G.

On social media like WhatsApp and Facebook, he said India respects encryption but insisted that law enforcement agencies should be able to identify source of messages where they are being circulated to fuel false rumours and violence.

"We respect encryption but where same message is being relayed repeatedly at same time, same area and on same issue to create chaos and spread false rumours, law enforcement agencies must have access...source of nuisance must be identified to deal with circulation of false rumours in such cases," Prasad added.

 

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