(Revised on: August 2, 2022)
When the spectrum auction is over in October of this year, India should have a 5G network. Four businesses, including Vodafone-Idea, Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Adani Data Networks, helped the government raise Rs. 1.50 lakh crore.
Out of the whole 72,098 MHz spectrum bands, the 51,236 MHz band has been auctioned after 40 rounds. However, the spectrum will be assigned by August 10 and services would probably start up in October.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, the union minister of communications, electronics, and information technology, was quoted by ANI as saying, "Auction has been completed and in the coming days, until August 10, all formalities, including approving and allocating the spectrum, will be done.
"It appears that 5G could be introduced in the nation by October. The ongoing 5G spectrum auction shows how far the nation's telecom industry has advanced 5G technology, he noted.
The minister continued by saying that the availability of spectrum would improve the telecom industry's offerings in India.
Details of the Reliance Jio 5G Spectrum Auction
Reliance Jio is the only telecom company that submitted bids that came close to reaching Rs. 88,078 crores, or 58.65 percent of the total amount submitted for bidding. The following frequencies have been purchased by Reliance Jio: 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz.
Reliance Jio stands out as the only telecom provider to have acquired spectrum in the 700MHz band, which analysts predict will give them an advantage over Airtel and Vodafone-Idea.
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"With Jio possibly launching SA 5G, we think that Bharti will face pressure to establish a comparable network in the years to come. This, in our opinion, increases the chance that Bharti will win 700 MHz in the upcoming auction (pricing likely to be similar to this auction). Even Capex investments need to increase, initially for the deployment of NSA and subsequently SA 5G, according to a study from BofA Securities.
Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, and Adani Data Network Limited are bidding in the 5G spectrum auction
For a total of Rs. 43,084 crores, Airtel, the second-largest telecom provider in India, purchased a 19.8 GHz spectrum in five bands, including 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz.
"Airtel is thrilled with the 5G auction results. According to Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO of Bharti Airtel, "This spectrum acquisition at the most recent auction has been a part of a deliberate strategy to buy the greatest spectrum assets at a far lower relative cost compared to our competition.
However, Vodafone-Idea has only invested Rs. 18,799 crores in the bands of 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2500 MHz, and 26 GHz. Last but not least, the Adani Group invested Rs. 212 crores at the auction and will use that spectrum to offer network solutions for power production, logistics, airports, and ports, indicating that it has no intention of entering the telecom industry.
