INDIA: Everyone was wondering when 5G would be available to the average person in India after the hotly anticipated spectrum auction for fifth-generation telecom services. The Center has now established a timeframe for the introduction of 5G.
A sudden declaration made during the network’s spectrum auction indicates that 5G services will probably start in India in October 2022.
After receiving bids totalling more than Rs 1.50 lakh crore from four businesses, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Adani Data Networks, the central government successfully concluded the spectrum auction on Monday.
Speaking to the media following the 5G spectrum auction, Union Minister of Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that 51,236 MHz out of 72,098 MHz, or 71 per cent of the whole 5G spectrum, has been sold.
According to the reports, Vaishnaw stated that the chosen bidders would receive their spectrum allocation by August 10 and that the country would likely see the launch of 5G services in October. He added that the spectrum would be allocated by August 10.
“It seems that 5G will be available across the country by October,” the Union Minister stated. The current 5G spectrum auction shows how far the nation’s telecom industry has advanced in 5G developments.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited has placed bids totaling Rs 88,078 crore, which accounts for 58.65 per cent of the entire amount of Rs 1,50,173 crore that the government has received in the 5G spectrum auction, according to the official detained information released by the Centre.
Bharti Airtel placed bids totaling Rs 43,084 crore to purchase a 19867.8 MHz spectrum in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz frequency bands, overtaking Reliance Jio as the second-largest bidder in the 5G auction.
Gopal Vittal, the CEO of Bharti Airtel, stated in a statement, “Airtel is thrilled with the results of the 5G auction. This spectrum purchase was undertaken at the most recent auction as part of a deliberate effort to acquire the most valuable spectrum assets at a significantly lower relative cost than our competitors.”
Also Read: 5G Spectrum Auction: Day 2 Ends on High Note
