Spectrum Auction to Kick Off on May 20

The Indian government is set to hold its first ever auction of 5G spectrum on May 20, 2024, with 72 GHz of airwaves across 10 bands worth ₹4.3 lakh crore at base price up for grabs for telcos like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and new entrant Adani Data Networks .

The auction will include low-band airwaves (600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz), mid-band, or C-band (3.3-3.67 GHz) and high band (26 GHz). The C-band and the high band are considered crucial for delivering high-speed 5G services.

Industry experts expect the proceeds to be around ₹1-1.2 lakh crore, given that there are only two major bidders, ample spectrum supplies and limited interest of Adani Group. They also expect the sale to last a maximum of two days .

Reliance Jio is expected to be the most aggressive participant, followed by Bharti Airtel, while Vodafone Idea is likely to go for limited airwaves and mostly in its 17 priority markets. Adani is expected to buy only a little of spectrum for its captive network .

The auction comes after a long gap of five years since the last spectrum sale in March 2021. The government hopes that the auction will boost the telecom sector and pave the way for the roll-out of 5G services in India.

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