5G Spectrum Auction Underway In India: Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel Among Top Bidders

Today’s 5G spectrum auction was held by the Indian government in accordance with their most recent schedule. Top bidders in this ₹4.3 lakh crore (5G) auction for the radiowaves at 72 GHz include telecom giants Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea(Vi), and newcomer Adani Data Networks. The auction began at 10 AM IST and will continue until 6 PM IST. The whole process will continue for the next few days. The length of the auction will be determined by the actual demand for radiowaves as well as the tactics each bidder uses.

Reliance Jio is the biggest competitor and spender, followed by Bharti Airtel. According to experts, ailing Vodafone Idea would likely only bid for a few frequencies, possibly in its 17 priority regions. Adani will also presumably buy a limited amount of spectrum for its captive 5G network.

The bands up for auction include:

• Low band – 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, and 2500 MHz.
• Mid band – 3.3 GHz to 3.67 GHz
• High band – 26 GHz

In order to promote bidding, the government has also eliminated the spectrum utilization costs (SUC) from the next auctions and decreased the payment conditions. Industry executives and experts estimate that the government would only gain around ₹4.3 lakh crore if all of the spectrum are auctioned at reserve pricing due to the fact that there are only two significant bidders—Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel—and the minimal interest of Adani Group.

Jio is anticipated to spend the most, between ₹48,000 and ₹87,800 crores. Next comes Airtel with a projected bid between ₹40,000 and ₹48,000 crores. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea and Adani Group are expected to make comparatively lower investments.