A day after India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced it is planning another spectrum auction, likely to be held early next year, the country’s mobile operators have urged the government to put off the sale of the 700MHz band for two years to give them time to prepare their business strategies.

The country plans to offer the 700MHz band, which is highly efficient for rural areas, for use in 4G networks for the first time. Operators expect the 700MHz band to sell at a very high price, which could put additional pressure on their already strained bottom-lines, the Economic Times reported.

The DoT yesterday asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to set the reserve price for the 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300 and 2500MHz bands. Under new spectrum rules, all the bands can be used to offer any telecom services using any technology, the Times said.

There is speculation that the auction next year could surpass the record INR1.1 trillion ($17.6 billion) raised in March.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has urged the government to provide a roadmap on the auction and allotment of the 700MHz band as “now the availability of this band is not known”, the Times said.

Analysts said the delay would allow the 4G device ecosystem and network infrastructure to develop.