The highly anticipated 5G spectrum auction garnered significant attention on Wednesday, with total bids surpassing Rs 11,000 crore. Bharat Airtel emerged as the biggest bidder in this high-stakes event.
The auction, which offered Rs 96,000 crore worth of spectrum, saw a concentrated demand in the 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands.
According to telecom analyst Parag Kar, the 900 MHz band received bids amounting to Rs 6,985 crore, while the 1,800 MHz band saw bids worth Rs 3,579 crore.
In the 2100 MHz band, Airtel was the sole bidder, securing the spectrum for Rs 545 crore.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea (VI) was the lone bidder in the 2500 MHz band, as posted by Kar on the social media platform X.
The telecom department made available over 10,500 MHz of spectrum across eight frequency bands: 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 2,500 MHz, 3,300 MHz, and 26 GHz.
Three major players participated in the auction: Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Reliance Jio Infocomm.
Analysts believe that the 5G auctions will accelerate the rollout of 5G services across India, resulting in enhanced coverage and significantly improved connectivity.
The latest Ericsson Mobility Report, released on Wednesday, projected that 5G subscriptions in India would reach approximately 840 million by the end of 2029, accounting for 65% of mobile subscriptions in the country.
This auction follows a record-breaking sale in 2022, where over Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth of 5G spectrum was sold. Bharti Airtel’s successful bid that year amounted to Rs 43,084 crore.
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