An inter-ministerial panel has reportedly approved the draft request for proposal (RFP) or tender document to select the auctioneer who will conduct the upcoming spectrum auction that would include the sale of 5G radiowaves. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is likely to finalise the auctioneer by September 2019.

The matter is likely to be taken up in the next meeting of the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) scheduled in this month. The RFP would be floated once the DCC takes a view on the issue.

The inter-ministerial panel has representation from the DoT, the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and NITI Aayog, among others.